The Rise of a Warrior: Naruto
by The Legendary Dragon Reaper
Summary: Tatsu Kamikaze, the last of his clan, sole heir of the Tenseigan, heir to the Dragon Blade, student of Hayate Gekko. This is his story. The story of a true Shinobi. My OC in Naruto, first story in my Naruto trilogy. Please read each chapter until the very end and check for authors notes. Warning, some heavy Sakura bashing. Currently being revised and edited.
1. Graduation Day, Rigorous Trial

Twelve years ago, a nine tailed fox (or Kyuubi no Kitsune, depending on the dub) suddenly appeared.

Its tails lashed out, smashing mountains and sending tidal waves crashing to the shores.

The ninja rose up to defend their villages.

One shinobi faced the Kyuubi in mortal combat, he sacrificed his life to capture the beast and seal it in a human body.

This ninja was known as the 4th Hokage.

With the 4th gone, the 3rd Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was forced to retake the Hokage position and look after the boy in which the Kyuubi had been sealed.

That boy known as Naruto Uzumaki.

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7 years after the Kyuubi's attack, one of the founding clans of the Hidden Leaf, the Uchiha clan was wiped out almost entirely in a single night.

The one responsible was fellow clansmen, Itachi Uchiha.

The only survivor was Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha.

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However, more than just Uchiha had been slain that night.

Kazuma Kamikaze, heir to the Kamikaze clan and Itachi's partner and lifelong best friend, had died at his hands as well.

This left Kazuma's younger brother Tatsu Kamikaze alone.

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3 boys, all orphaned and alone, all striving toward goals.

This is their story.

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 **(12 years after attack)**

"Lord Hokage, it's an emergency!"

Sarutobi looked up and sighed "I hope you're not bothering me with some trivia. And don't tell me it's Naruto again."

"It's Naruto again! He climbed onto the great stone faces and put graffiti all over them!"

' _Why am I not surprised?_ Alright, bring me Tatsu."

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Naruto had evaded the ninja pursuing him with relative ease "That was too easy."

"Was it now?"

Naruto yelped when he saw Tatsu (blue martial arts gi, brown eyes, brown hair and a set off glasses) standing behind him "Come on Tatsu, I thought you promised you wouldn't scare me like that anymore! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking the two of you that." Iruka made himself known "You're both supposed to be in class."

"I was asked by the Hokage to come get him." Tatsu pointed out "The little runt on the sugar high here has no excuse."

Naruto responded to that by giving him the finger.

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"Come on, it was just a prank!" Naruto protested "And why am I tied up?"

"So you don't try and sneak out again." Iruka let out a heavy sigh "I'm at the end of my rope Naruto, you failed the graduation test last time and the time before that. Tomorrow, you've got another chance and you're messing up again. You're giving me the finger behind your back again aren't you?"

"...Maybe."

"Fine! Because you missed it Naruto, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!"

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"Alright, Sakura here. Let's do it." Sakura went first and transformed into Iruka himself.

Iruka nodded in approval "You transformed into me. Good."

"Yes, I did it! _I did it! CHA!_ Sasuke, did you see that?"

"Yeah yeah." Sasuke waved her off.

"Next, Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka called.

"Right." Sasuke transformed into Iruka.

"Good. Next, Tatsu Kamikaze."

"On it." Tatsu transformed.

"...Who's that supposed to be?"

"Kakashi unmasked, what else?"

"That's not what Kakashi looks like unmasked!"

"How would you know? You've never seen him unmasked."

"...Just go. Next, Naruto Uzumaki."

"This is a waste of time Naruto, we always pay for your screw-ups." Kiba brumbled.

"Lay off him dog breath." Ino snapped "We need the extra practice."

"Like I care what you think dog breath." Naruto stepped up and transformed. Into a naked woman.

"Huh?" then Iruka got sent flying with a nose bleed.

"Gotcha! That's my patented Sexy Justu!"

"CUT THE STUPID TRICKS! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!"

"Alright alright." Naruto went to the back of the line.

Tatsu raised an eyebrow "You had that jutsu patented?"

"It's good for catching guys off guard."

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After class, Tatsu met up with Ebisu at the hospital "Alright pervert, let's get the real training started."

Ebisu sighed and pushed his sunglasses "I wish you wouldn't call me that."

"I call them like I see them. You're pervert, Kakashi is scarecrow, Kurenai is feminist, Izumo and Kotetsu are the Eternal Chunin, Anko is sadist, Guy is… well, Guy, and Asuma is chain smoker. There only one I didn't give a nickname is the one man who I feel is worthy of being called sensei. Hayate Gekko. He's a great jonin and a good man."

"I agree. He's also a good friend of mine, which is why I agreed to train you for him. Now then, if you're still doubtful of my skills then let's get started. Tatsu, try and run away from me. I want you to try running as fast as you can. If you can get away from me, you pass and I'll give you 50% of my pay for the next month."

"Seriously?"

"Of course, an elite Jonin never goes back on his word."

"You're on. Later!" and he ran off.

' _Oh this is going to be fun.'_

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Tatsu quickly took to the streets and then to the rooftops "No way I lost him already, I guess he hasn't realized that he's dealing with awesomeness incarnate."

"Oh really, and who would that be?" a voice called out.

Tatsu looked and found Ebisu on top of a building behind him "Okay, not bad."

"If that's the best you can do, you might as well stop now and give up."

"Not so fast, you haven't seen anything yet! I'm just getting started!" he threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared.

"Well now, this is fun."

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Tatsu took a moment to catch his breath "Pervert or not, he's a jonin after all. I shouldn't have underestimated him." then he saw a Make-Out Series poster behind him "Light bulb."

By the time Ebisu showed up, he could find Tatsu anywhere ' _So he's given up running and decided to hide, has he?'_ he looked and saw the poster and quickly composed himself ' _Control yourself Ebisu, use your eyes._ Just what do you think you're doing, Tatsu?"

"...Well it was worth a shot." he transformed back.

"It was a good idea actually, using your surroundings to your advantage."

"Alright then, let's multiply this little charade. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned up to 20 clones of himself "You can thank Kakashi for this one. Scatter!" and they all spread out.

"Not bad. However, you're not the only one who can perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu my friend." he then summoned 2 clones "You can't get away!" he and his clones split up and quickly subdued each of the clones within a span of 20 minutes, before the real Ebisu tracked the real Tatsu down at the bridge "Well, had enough?"

Tatsu managed to stop panting "Yeah, I think I'll call it quits."

"Sorry Tatsu, this game is over. Though I must say, you did well for the first time around. I can see how skilled you truly are. Another few weeks of training, and I'm sure you'll be ready for the next Chunin Exam."

"Hope so. Alright, gonna head to Ichiraku, later." and he disappeared.

"Another Shadow Clone? _Kuroga-sensei, your son really does surpass all expectations. I just know he'll go far.'_

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After having him clean the Hokage Monument, Iruka treated Naruto to ramen at Ichiraku, when he finally brought something up "Naruto, why would you do that to the Hokage faces? I mean you know who the Hokage are don't you?"

"Of course I do." Naruto stopped slurping down ramen "Everybody knows, they were the greatest shinobi of their time right? The best of the best, undefeated ninja champs, and the 4th Hokage is the one who saved the village from the Kyuubi. He was the most amazing."

"Then why did you-?"

"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them. Me, Naruto, the next Hokage, a ninja legend. Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and look up to me, believe it!"

"You know something Naruto, I don't doubt that for a second."

Naruto looked to his left and saw Tatsu sitting beside him "Tatsu!"

"I'm serious, I have faith in you. I know you'll make something great of yourself someday, as soon as you ditch the pranks, the Sexy Jutsu and that annoying catchphrase."

"Hey, my catchphrase is awesome! Believe it!"

"It makes people want to throttle you, just like the jumpsuit. If you want a good catchphrase, try something like these: tell me who to punch, come back when you're not a bitch, or you can just kick someone in the nuts."

"Kind of crude, isn't it?"

"Says the kid who transforms into naked women."

"...Shut up." then he turned back to Iruka "By the way, I kind of want to ask a little favor sensei."

"You want another bowl?" Iruka guessed.

"...Make that 2 favors."

"Then what's the first?"

"I want to try on your headband. Come on, please?"

"What, this? No way. You can only wear the leaf headband when you finally graduate from the academy and become a ninja. You've gotta pass the test tomorrow."

"That is so uncool!"

"Hey, is that why you took off your goggles?"

"...I want another bowl."

Iruka just laughed.

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"We will now start the final exam." Iruka announced "When your name is called, proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on the Clone Jutsu."

Naruto was internally freaking out ' _That's my worst technique! I'm never gonna pass!'_ he soon found his name called and stepped up ' _Alright, get it together Naruto. You can do this, believe it!_ **Clone Jutsu!"** he produced one crappy clone.

Iruka didn't look amused "YOU FAIL!"

"Iruka-sensei." Mizuki spoke up "He's off, but his moves weren't bad and he did hang in there and replicate. This is his third try, so you know he really wants to become a ninja. We could cut him a break and pass him."

"Mizuki-sensei, the other students created at least 3 effective replications, but Naruto could only create one and look at it. It's pitiful. I can't pass him."

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What's worse was that people were gossiping about him later.

"There, you see him?"

"It's that boy. I heard he's the only one who failed."

"Well it serves him right."

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja. I mean, he's the boy who-"

"Hey." Tatsu suddenly appeared, clearly pissed "You know you're not supposed to talk about that. More importantly, it's not nice to gossip about people."

"Oh yeah, well what are you gonna do about it?"

"This." he formed a hand seal, and a gust of wind blew up their skirts as he walked away nonchalantly.

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Naruto was later sulking "Why?"

"He's tough, but he's not against you." a voice told him "He wants you to be strong, with all his heart, but that will never happen if he goes easy on you. He's like you you know, no parents, no family. Mizuki is the same."

Naruto looked to see a jonin with brown hair and glasses beside him "Aizen-sensei. But this time I really wanted to graduate."

"Well then, I suppose I'll have to tell you. It's a secret, but I'm going to let you in on it."

' _A secret?'_

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Mizuki was taking Iruka out for a drink, discussing the exam "I know how you feel Iruka, you grew up just like Naruto. You didn't know the love of your parents. I lost my mother to that sickness about 3 years ago, and chances are Hayate will die of the same thing soon."

Iruka sighed "I know, but-"

"Sorry to bother you two." Aizen suddenly appeared next to them "There's an emergency."

"What is it?"

"You both need to come to Lord Hokage's right away. It's Naruto. He stole the sacred scroll."

Mizuki froze "You mean the Scroll of Sealing?"

"Yes, let's go."

"Right!" Iruka followed him.

Mizuki hesitated, but followed a second later ' _Aizen… that look in your eyes… it's too good, even in my opinion… what're you up to?'_

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Naruto hid in the forest as he checked out the Scroll of Sealing "Let's see here, the first one is called Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. Not this again, it's my worst jutsu!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Naruto looked to see Tatsu in front of him "Oh hey Tatsu. Aizen-sensei told me about this secret test that will let me graduate. I've just gotta master the jutsu in this scroll."

"...Aizen told you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"...Never mind, let me see." he looked over it "Already know, not my chakra nature, not my chakra nature, not my chakra nature, saving for later, boring, lame, just downright asinine, ooh here's a good one. Leaf Dragon God."

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Several chunin and a couple jonin had gathered.

"Lord Hokage, this is not just a prank! This is a serious crime!"

"That scroll contains secrets that were sealed by the First Hokage, secrets known only to our village!"

"If it falls into the wrong hands, they could destroy our entire way of life."

"Alright, bring Naruto here at once." Sarutobi ordered.

"Sir!" and they scattered.

Mizuki and Iruka stayed behind for a moment "Lord Hokage-"

"I know, but please find him."

"Right." and they left.

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Aizen made his way through the streets, a calm smirk plastered onto his face ' _Now that I've told everyone what Naruto had done, I can eliminate him with ease. They'll be glad he's gone, and I'll keep the scroll for myself.'_

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Tatsu was panting heavily, covered in various cuts and bruises "How you making out over there?"

Naruto was panting just as much "I think I've got it." then he looked up "Oh, hey."

A pissed off Iruka stood before him, with Mizuki right behind him "It's all over."

"Got me already, not bad. You guys are quick, I only had time to learn one technique. Tatus was way faster though, he found me before I even started."

' _They've been out here practicing. I can tell how hard they've been working.'_

"Listen guys, I'm going to show you this amazing jutsu and you're gonna let me graduate and then everything will be okay! That's the way it works right, anyone who learns a jutsu from this scroll passes!"

"What? Where'd you get that idea?"

"Naruto." Mizuki spoke up, deadly serious "Was it Aizen-sensei?"

Naruto blinked "Yeah, believe it! He told me where to find the scroll, and this place…"

' _Aizen?'_ Iruka wondered "Mizuki, do you know-"

"GET DOWN!" Mizuki suddenly pushed Iruka out of the way while Tatsu grabbed Naruto, and was suddenly hit by a barrage of kunai out of nowhere.

"I see you found our little hideaway."

"So that's the way, I knew there was something off about you Aizen."

Sure enough, Aizen stood atop a high branch "Naruto, give me the scroll now."

"Wait a minute, what's going on here?" Naruto stammered.

"Naruto, don't let Aizen get the scroll!" Mizuki forcefully pulled a kunai out of his leg "It contains forbidden jutsu that could put the village in grave danger. Aizen must've used you to get the scroll for himself, so he could use it for his own power."

Aizen retained his calm smirk "Naruto, Mizuki is just trying to scare you because he and Iruka don't want you to have the scroll."

"Stop lying Aizen." Iruka spat "Naruto, don't let him trick you."

"Oh, allow me to tell you who's really lying."

"No Aizen!"

"They've been lying to you your whole life Naruto, since the decree 12 years ago."

"What decree?" asked Naruto.

"Everyone knows except you. Even Tatsu knows. Iruka, Mizuki and even Tatsu have been trying to hide it from you even now. They'd do anything to try and silence me."

"What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?"

"Well-"

"Don't tell him, it's forbidden." Mizuki coughed up some blood.

"The decree is no one can tell you the Kyuubi is inside you."

Naruto froze ' _What?'_

"The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents, Mizuki's father, Tatsu's parents, and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You are the Kyuubi."

"STOP IT!" Iruka screamed.

"They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life. Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you? Like dirt, like they hated you for just being alive."

"No!" chakra began radiating from him "No no no no!"

"That's why you will never be accepted in this village. Even your beloved sensei's despise you, and so does Tatsu."

Iruka froze and thought about his conversation with Sarutobi.

"Die Naruto." Aizen summoned a massive shuriken and hurled it.

Naruto ducked his head and heard the shuriken make impact with something, then slowly looked and froze at the sight "Tatsu… why?"

"Because you're my friend." Tatsu sheathed his sword, looked back and grinned "You're like the little brother I never had and I'll be damned if I allow anyone I care about to die on my watch."

"B-Brother?"

"Like me…" Iruka spoke up "We're the same, Naruto. When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me. They just forgot I was there. My grades dropped, I became the class clown. I just wanted them to see me and know my name. My schoolwork wasn't good enough to get their attention, so I did crazy things and then I had to pay for it. It was hard. I know that's how you feel Naruto." tears began streaming down his face "You feel lonely and it hurts inside, and I could've been there for you more like Tatsu or Mizuki were. I let you down, and I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer that much. No one should be alone like that."

Aizen smirked "Don't make me laugh. They always hated you. Tatsu and Iruka were orphaned because the Kyuubi killed their parents, and that beast is now inside you. They'd say anything to get the scroll from you-"

"You never know when to shut up do you?" Tatsu threw a kunai with a paper bomb into the tree next to him, detonating it.

Aizen suddenly appeared on the ground in front of him "A worthy sneak attack, but you only damaged my shadow clone-" he was cut off by a vicious fist to the face.

"If you ever go near my friend or sensei's, I'll kill you." Naruto snarled, his eyes glowing crimson with rage " **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he suddenly summoned hundreds of clones.

"Interesting, it's impressive that you could master such a jutsu in a mere few hours."

"Get ready to pay bastard!" all 1,000 of him charged in.

Despite taking a lot of hits, Aizen eventually destroyed about 700 clones "Impressive, but not good enough."

"Then how about this!" Tatsu suddenly blitzed forward and spun, creating a tornado around his body " **Leaf Dragon God!"** he initiated the technique.

"What- How-?" Aizen found himself engulfed in the attack.

The mouth of the tornado dragon swallowed him, landing deep uncontrollable cuts all across his body as Tatsu increased the speed of the rotating, hurting himself in the process "Naruto, finish it!"

"Right!" Naruto created a few more Shadow Clones and launched himself into the air, then landed a kick to Aizen's torso, slamming him to the ground and leaving him a bloody mess left in a crater.

"Nice work Naruto."

"Tatsu…" his voice was quiet "Am I really the Kyuubi?"

"No, you're not. Sure a beast would go on a rampage and kill innocent people without a care, but you're nothing like that. You're one of a kind, work hard, put your whole heart into everything you do. Sure you mess up sometimes and everyone jumps on you, but your suffering only makes you stronger. That's what separates you from being a demon. Aizen's wrong, you're nothing like the Kyuubi. You're Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf."

Naruto suddenly teared up and hugged him.

"And I know for a fact that Mizuki and Iruka both agree with that 100%."

"Yeah…" then he looked at Mizuki "Hey Mizuki-sensei, you alright?"

Mizuki coughed up blood "I'll be fine, just a little rest."

Iruka slung Mizuki's arm over his shoulder "I've got you." then he looked at Naruto ' _He really is amazing, he wants to surpass all the Hokage and I'm starting to believe he might do it._ Naruto, come over here for a minute. I've got something I wanna give you."

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Having watched the whole situation through his crystal ball, Sarutobi gave a small smile and quickly called off the search "There's no longer any need to worry, the scroll's safe and Naruto will be back soon."

The ninja were confused.

They had no idea that Naruto had saved the village from potential disaster.

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"Sensei, how much longer?" asked Naruto.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Iruka told him.

Naruto opened his eyes and noticed Iruka's headband on his (Naruto's) head "Wha-?"

"Congratulations, you graduate. And to celebrate I have a surprise, we're going out for ramen tonight."

Naruto suddenly teared up and tackled him "Iruka-sensei!"

"Hey, that hurts!"

Tatsu watched the little scene as he supported Mizuki's injured form ' _Naruto, this is only the beginning. The road's gonna get a hell of a lot tougher now that you're a ninja. But if I told you that then I would just ruin the moment. I'll tell you later, over ramen.'_

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Later at Ichiraku, Tatsu explained to Hayate the situation "And that's what happened."

Hayate was taken by surprise "Wow, all that happened while I was gone?"

"And now Aizen's locked up for treason and Mizuki's recovering in the hospital. Poor guy, he's gonna miss Genin team assignments."

"And what interesting assignments they should be." Ebisu came in and sat down beside them.

"So you get a good view of Naruto's personality?"

"Let's just say I have a new view of him."

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The day came, and the genin assembled at the academy.

Kiba shot Naruto a look of disdain "What're you doing here loser? This isn't for dropouts, you can't be here unless you graduate."

"That doesn't explain why you're here." Tatsu pointed to Naruto's headband "In case you haven't noticed fleas for brains he's got the headband, that means he graduated like the rest of you. I can vouch, I was there."

Kiba let out an arrogant scoff "Yeah right, they must let anybody graduate."

"That's the only explanation I can think of for why you're here, even Akamaru is smarter than you are."

This was interrupted when Ino and Sakura burst in at the same time "I'm first."

"Ino was first." Tatsu called without looking from his book "Hey Ino."

"Hey Tatsu." Ino waved with a bright smile.

Then Tatsu turned to Sasuke and gave a stoic nod "Sasuke."

"Tatsu." Sasuke returned the gesture.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shoved Naruto out of the way and made her way to Sasuke "Good morning Sasuke, mind if I sit next to you?"

"Tatsu's already sitting there."

"Oh who cares about him?"

"Anyone who cares about being a ninja. You should follow his example." then he looked and saw Naruto right in his face "If you're gonna do that, wait until it's cool, or at least ditch the jacket."

Naruto did. And threw it over Sasuke's face "Happy?"

"Very funny, you think this monstrosity will hurt me."

"Don't dis the orange!"

This was interrupted when Iruka came in "As of today, you are all ninjas. To get to this point, you've all faced difficult trials and hardships. But that means little, what comes next will be far more difficult. Now you're only genin, first level shinobi. All genin will be grouped into 3-man squads."

"Iruka-sensei." Ino raised her hand "Where's Mizuki-sensei?"

"Mizuki-sensei was injured while capturing and arresting a traitor alongside Naruto, Tatsu and myself. Now as I was saying, each squad will be led by a jonin, an elite ninja. Teams 1-6 (Blah blah bla nobody cares). Team 7. Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha. Next, team 8. Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame. Team 9 (Nobody cares). Now, team 10. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi."

"Iruka-sensei." Ino raised her hand "How come Tatsu isn't on a team?"

"Well Ino, considering Tatsu's role in stopping Aizen after he turned traitor, we examined his skills and the tests revealed that his skill is far beyond that of the average genin, so therefore he is an elite genin and is going to be a one-man team."

"WHAT?!" Sakura screeched "Why don't you give Sasuke that title, he deserves it more than-"

"Sakura, shut up!" Sasuke did everyone a favor and got her to stop talking "I know for a fact that Tatsu has earned that title more than anyone through years of effort, if you've got a problem with it then take it up with someone who cares about your opinion."

Iruka breathed a sigh of relief "Thank you Sasuke. Now as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted." he shot a glare at Sakura "After lunch you'll meet your new jonin sensei's, class is dismissed until then."

Everyone left, Sasuke faster than anyone could see.

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Ino was trying to take charge with Choji and Shikamaru "Listen up guys, if we're doing this we're doing it right, got it?"

"Yeah yeah." Shikamaru waved her off ' _She becomes a real pain in the neck when people try to argue with her._ I guess we have to thank Tatsu for that."

"Thank me for what?"

Shikamaru looked and saw Tatsu standing beside him "You know what."

"I do."

Then Shikamaru saw Naruto trying to sneak up on Sasuke "What the hell's he doing?"

Tatsu raised an eyebrow upon seeing Naruto pounce "Well if I know Naruto, this'll probably end with Sasuke on the ground and Naruto on the toilet."

"...That's weird even for you."

"The usual bet?"

"50 ryo."

"Deal. Anyway, I'm gonna head over to the hospital and check up on Mizuki. You guys wanna come."

"I'll go." Ino offered "I'll meet you guys here later."

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Later, _Sasuke_ met up with Sakura outside the academy "Hey Sakura, I've got something I wanna ask you. About Naruto, what do you think of him?"

Sakura scowled suddenly "He's really at home interfering and enjoys it when I make mistakes. Naruto doesn't understand one thing about me. He's just annoying, and Tatsu is just as bad if not worse. All I want… is for you to accept me, Sasuke."

"For me to accept you?"

"I'll do anything for the sake of that." she puckered up for a kiss.

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Tatsu suddenly sneezed "Oh boy."

"Something wrong?" asked Mizuki.

"My Naruto senses are going off the scale, he's about to do something really stupid. Oh well, that's what Shadow Clones are for."

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The real Sasuke found himself tied up ' _I got careless, he tricked me with a Substitution and Shadow Clones._ I guess I've gotta give him more credit."

"I guess you do." Tatsu's Shadow Clone knelt down beside him "I'm halfway there."

"What?"

"Just a bet?"

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Sakura still had her lips puckered "I'm desperate… so…"

Sasuke, actually Naruto in disguise, found himself with stomach problems ' _Diarrhea at a time like this?!'_ he suddenly ran off "I-I'll be right back!"

Sakura was still blushing "Sasuke's so shy."

"Somehow, I don't think that's it."

Sakura scowled when she saw Tatsu appeared "Oh great, you. What do you want?"

"Just checking something now, and now Shikamaru owes me 50 ryo. Later." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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One of Tatsu's clones stopped by Naruto's apartment to check something out ' _The milk is way past the expiration date, no wonder the poor kid got diarrhea.'_

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Sakura was waiting when she saw the real Sasuke show up "Oh Sasuke, you're such a shy bad boy. Are you prepared? I'm raring to go!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, having been informed of the situation by Tatsu ' _How I'm not deaf yet I'll never know._ Where's Naruto?"

"Oh there you go changing the subject again. Anyway, Naruto just picks fights with you, and Tatsu is just as bad."

"Tatsu and I don't pick fights, we train, and Naruto is the same in that regard."

"Oh please. You know why those two are so annoying, because they weren't raised right. They don't have a mother or father, no one to teach them right from wrong. Think about it, they just do whatever comes into their heads."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to her, a cold glare in his eyes.

"If I did things like Naruto or Tatsu, forget it! I mean, my parents would get mad and I'd get in trouble so of course I don't do it. But if you don't have parents to tell you, how would you know? They're both selfish and bratty, they're all alone."

"Enough." Sasuke "Alone, you say? It's not about your parents scolding you."

"Wh-Why are you saying that?"

"Because I can relate to them. Like Tatsu and Naruto, I don't have parents anymore either, in case you hadn't noticed. That, and you're annoying."

Sakura let out a small gasp.

"The shinobi world is a cold and cruel place, someone like you will never survive as you are now. Frankly, that'd be doing the world a favor." and with that, he walked away.

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Tatsu nearly froze at what Sasuke told him "You better not be messing with me."

"I don't mess with people." Sasuke pointed out dryly "Least of all you. Frankly speaking, you're the closest thing I have to a real friend. You were there for me after…"

"Yeah, and you were there for me when my brother died. We stick out for each other. Still, even for Sakura that's going too far. Then again, hopefully Naruto will stop following her like a lovesick puppy. Where is Naruto anyway?"

"He tried attacking me with Shadow Clones but they all got diarrhea. I'm pretty sure he's still in there."

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The real Tatsu received the memories of the Shadow Clones and breathed a sigh "For crying out loud Naruto."

"What'd he do?" asked Ino.

"He transformed into Sasuke to get close to Sakura and got diarrhea from some expired milk. Then Sasuke told off Sakura for insulting Naruto for being an orphan."

Ino looked down, sadness in her eyes "I see."

"You're wishing you hadn't given her up as a friend?" Tatsu gently put a comforting arm around her shoulder "From what I know Sasuke was actually getting through to her, so maybe there's hope."

"Yeah, hope…" Mizuki looked out the window with a downcast expression.

"Something wrong Mizuki?"

"Well, I've been thinking about Aizen. The truth is, I've had my suspicions about him for a long time now. I just feel like maybe I could've stopped him."

"Aizen was already too far gone, there was nothing you could've done. Maybe there's hope for him to reform in prison."

"I hope so. He was one of my first friends, along with your brother and Iruka."

"And while we're on that subject, thanks for being there for me when I was in a dark place."

"Sure thing." Mizuki gave a small smile.

"Well in the meantime, I'd better get going myself, since I don't have a jonin sensei like the rest of the graduates do I'm gonna have to deal with a few others testing me to see if I'm really ninja material."

"So who are you gonna be fighting?" asked Ino.

"I've got a few ideas, nothing set in stone but I've spent at least four years training with the strongest jonin in the village so how bad could it be?" and then he took his leave as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Famous last words."

"He might be a little bit on the cocky side and not much for formalities, but he's shown a lot of promise and growth." Mizuki noted with a small smile "He's gonna go far."

"He's definitely ambitious, but it's pretty admirable."

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The scene of the third training ground was quiet and calm.

Tatsu stood leaning against the metal fence with his nose buried in a certain novel, but he glanced up once he sensed them arrive "I was wondering how long I was gonna wait for you guys, but at least you're not following Kakashi's example."

"He's one of a kind in that regard, and for good reason." one of the figures pointed out to him, this one being a young woman with brown hair in a ponytail, black eyes and fair skin, as well as wearing a chunin vest "It seems like time flies, I still remember you being this spunky little kid and now you're a full fledged genin."

"Not yet, you know that."

"It's why I'm here, coming out of retirement to see what you can do."

"Not the time for snark right now Ayame."

"On that we can agree." the other figure, this one being Hayate, glanced around at the training grounds with a small fond smile "You know looking back, this place brings back a lot of memories for me. It seems like just yesterday I was training your brother Kazuma and Ayame here for their first go at the Chunin exams."

"Yeah, Kazuma was a prodigy of prodigies. I still like to think about the times he took me training out here in secret." Tatsu glanced up at the wind blowing through the trees, and he quickly shook his head "No use living in the past now is there? Let's just get this started, you said you were gonna test me didn't you?"

' _I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he's still sensitive about the subject of Kazuma._ You're right, let's get this started. Time for you to show us just how far you've come Tatsu, after all you haven't given up on your ambition have you?"

"Not a chance in hell, why else would I put myself through four years of training from hell with you and the others for?" Tatsu pulled his sword out of its sheath "I've come too far to give up now."

"You've still got the same fire in your eyes, now let's do this. No bells or anything, and that makes it different from Lord Third's bell test. In order to pass our test, you have to perform to our satisfaction but be sure not to forget the most important rule."

"I've gotta come at you with intent to kill or I don't stand a chance, I know."

"Exactly, so show no mercy to either of us."

"A ninja has to know when to lock away their emotions to get the job done."

"Seems like your head is in the right place. Now then, shall we start your test?"

"How about less talking and more fighting."

"Sounds good to me, I have a feeling we'll have to keep on our toes. This isn't just some simple training anymore, this time around we're going to get serious." Ayame warned him.

"That's exactly what I'm counting on." Tatsu started the battle by firing off a quick volley of shuriken.

Ayame ducked and fired off a volley of her own shuriken.

Tatsu dodged them by leaping into the air, only to be confronted by another volley of shuriken while in mid air ' _Dammit!_ **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"** he blitzed through several hand seals and fired off a sharp blast of wind, cutting through the shuriken and forcing Ayame to leap out of the way.

' _So that's his game, he was trapped in mid air so he used Kazuma's Wind Style jutsu to counter them rather than risk moving himself out of the way and risking falling for a trap.'_

"Now for a follow up!" Tatsu attempted to slash his sword at Ayame.

That was when Hayate suddenly appeared next to him and grabbed him by the arm, and he gave a small smirk "I think that's enough of that. _He's grown up so much and he still is right before me very eyes, and not only that either.'_ he glanced back to see a Shadow Clone holding a sword aimed at his back, as well as another one with a sword pointed at Ayame ' _His strategic skills and timing with his jutsu are spot on._ You've done some maturing haven't you, but you're a little bit on the brash side so you still have a ways to go. You attacked Ayame before either of us had the chance to say start."

"I'm not pulling a Naruto on you, if you wanted me to wait then you should've said so. It's not like me enemies will wait for me."

"This is also true, but let's do this the right way. Ready? Start." and so he and Ayame suddenly disappeared in puffs of smoke.

' _So that's how he wants to play it then does he?_ Do I look like Naruto to you guys? I'm not some hotheaded jackass who lets my emotions cloud my judgement." Tatsu looked around, his mind racing ' _Nothing on the right, the left or above me. That leaves two options left, but there's two of them and they're both too smart to try it from the same place, which means that one of them is below but the other is probably gonna try a sneak attack from behind._ **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he summoned two purple balls of electricity, one in each hand, and the ground with one while he thrusted the other one behind him.

Hayate suddenly materialized into view as he leapt out of the way of the lightning attack, losing his grip on his sword in the process "I didn't expect you to catch onto that so fast."  
"That's just part of the package, and I'm sure Ayame is gonna agree with that."

Sure enough, Ayame emerged from underground and let out a weak cough "Okay, didn't expect you to go full on with a lightning attack."

"Hey you were on the same team as my brother and Itachi, for you to be paired with a couple of powerhouses like those two and not be a beast would raise some serious concerns."

"And Kamikaze logic strikes again."

"There's nothing finer is there?"

"No there isn't. But anyway, you've had your chance to show off a little bit, so now it's my turn." and she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"And then there was one." Tatsu glanced over at Hayate "So are you gonna get involved in this one?"

Hayate raised an eyebrow "You really expect your enemy to let you know if they're going to double team you?"

"Expect a sneak attack it is." and so Tatsu disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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Soon enough, Tatsu was making his way through the dense forest area, and with his sensory abilities he quickly detected Ayame hiding nearby ' _There she is. One of the first skills for a shinobi to learn is to conceal their presence and remain hidden, at least if you're not luring your enemy into a trap.'_ he glanced over and sensed out Hayate hiding a short distance away behind him as well ' _This is completely different from the way he's been training me, if I screw up even once they won't hesitate to take me down. Failure means instant death in the world of the ninja after all. The question is, which one of them will attack me first?'_

" **Secret Sword: Tsukikage!"** Hayate was the first one to attack him as he charged forward with a few afterimages and his sword in his hand.

Tatsu countered the sword with his own, as well as swiftly dodging a quick barrage of kunai fired off by Ayame "So we're going hand to hand and weapons first then?"

"You're referring to the first basic shinobi battle skill, taijutsu."

"Kenjutsu and weapons are more of a sub skill to that."

"You remember that far back, good." Hayate charged at him with his sword in hand.

Tatsu dodged, blocked and countered every stroke using his own sword, before dealing Hayate a swift kick to the torso and retreating back to gain some distance.

"You left yourself wide open!" Ayame charged at him with a kunai in hand, and she started slashing at him.

' _She's as fast as ever, one shot and I'm done for. But at the same time, it won't do her any good if she can't hit me!'_ Tatsu leapt out of the way of her attacks, leaving a tree to get cut down instead of him.

" **Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance!"** Hayate summoned two Shadow Clones and they all charged at Tatsu as they drew their swords.

Tatsu slashed through one of them with his sword and dissipated the other clone with a swift kick to the side of the head, though he was unable to stop the assault of the original with his sword, receiving a gash across his shoulder in the process but he took the chance to slug him in the torso with one free hand, sending him stumbling backwards a few feet while Tatsu himself retreated to gain some distance, quickly wiping the blood from his wound ' _He's not pulling any punches this time, which makes it more exciting for me.'_

"Did you forget about me?" Ayame charged down at him from above with a kick aimed at his head.

Tatsu forced himself to roll out of the way, panting slightly from the exertion of energy he was feeling now, and breathed a sigh at the sight of another tree being toppled over ' _I remember when they actually used to pull their punches for me, and that was when they were training me one on one. Now I'm facing both of them at once when they're fighting seriously.'_

" **Leaf Style: Hyper Crescent Moon Dance!"** Hayate summoned a total of 10 Shadow Clones, and all of them drew their swords and charged.

' _Looks like he's finally getting really serious, he almost never bother to go over two Shadow Clones in one fight.'_ Tatsu found himself forced to fight off the advances of several clones at the same time, slashing at them and managing to take down a few of them but still receiving a few nasty gashes in the process.

" **Flower Bomber Barrage!"** Ayame formed a hand seal and activated some of the various paper bombs she had spread throughout the area, detonating them in a deafening explosion.

Tatsu managed to escape from it, but he received a few minor burns across his right side as well as a few gashes ' _This is starting to get interesting, finally they're really trying against me for once…'_

' _He's doing a lot better than I thought he would, but that's just proof of how far he's come since back then.'_

' _But that raises the question, what should I do next?'_

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What no one else knew was that a certain figure was watching them from afar, clad in a mask and a forest green kimono with a black katana strapped to his side, and underneath his mask he smiled slightly ' _You've gotten quite strong haven't you Tatsu? I just wish I could be there for you during this time.'_

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Tatsu slowly made his way through the woods, his mind racing ' _I could sense Hayate-sensei's chakra coming from this way the last I felt it, which means that he's probably trying to lure me into a trap. I can't forget that I'm dealing with two jonin level ninja, and while I know them they also know me, so they know what can and will get to me.'_

That was when a figure suddenly materialized in front of him, having short brown hair, emerald green eyes and a pair of glasses, clad in an ANBU uniform and bleeding heavily with several weapons sticking out of his back "Tatsu… over here…"

"Kazuma… big brother… You look hurt…"

"Orochimaru… he found me… and he experimented on me… I managed to escape… I need you to help me… please…"

"Don't worry brother, I know exactly what I have to do." Tatsu promptly whipped out a kunai and threw it at Kazuma, only for it to pass through him "It's too bad he's not real, I'd give up just about anything to be able to see my brother again. Alright you guys enough screwing around with illusions, I can sense you guys hiding close by. **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** he blitzed through several hand seals and breathed out a large red fire dragon, torching several of the trees in front of him, as well as the ones Ayame and Hayate were using to hide and forcing them to reveal themselves "Well you guys, is there something else you wanted to talk about? I could taunt you about this but how about you just come out and say it already."

Ayame breathed a sigh "The second basic shinobi skill, genjutsu."

"Illusions, which I personally suck at. But then again, I have no intention of falling for the same illusion seven times."

"I guess originality is gonna have to be a key to beating you."

"You're damn right, if you wanna beat me then you'll have to come up with something entirely new. I'm not that stupid or naive anymore."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ayame pointed to the Shadow Clone holding a kunai pointed directly towards Tatsu's back, only to glance back and see Tatsu's own Shadow Clone aiming his sword at her back, as well as another one doing the same to Hayate "Huh."

"You were saying?"

"Clearly nothing that actually registered, but I do give you points for creativity. But with that being said…" and then she and Hayate both suddenly disappeared.

' _Trying to attack from the shadows huh? Classic ninja stuff.'_ Tatsu quickly dodged a barrage of kunai from within the shadows and fired off some kunai of his own "I know you're there sensei, attacking from my blind spot is too obvious a move to actually work on me."

"Perhaps, but this isn't." using his Transparency jutsu, Hayate dealt Tatsu a sharp kick to the side while he was preoccupied with the kunai, sending him stumbling backwards a short distance, only for him to suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke "So you duped me with a Shadow Clone then did you?"

" **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** the real Tatsu dove down from above with a blast of purple lightning in his hand.

' _So he's aiming for an attack from above, if that even touches me then I might as well be done for!'_ thinking quick, Hayate leapt out of the way of the attack, leaving it to create a small but somewhat deep crater.

' _So what's gonna be next then?'_

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Ayame and Hayate made a quick rendezvous by the river near the training ground "Looks we'll have to step things up a little bit, just hang back and let me take this one alright?"

Tatsu appeared in front of them, sporting some significant battle damage but still raring and ready to fight "Looks like it's about time for us to go over the third and final basic shinobi battle skill, that of ninjutsu."

"You know this well, but let's see if you can back up the talk." Ayame quickly blitzed through several hand seals " **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"** she breathed out a powerful fire dragon that shot forward.

Thinking quick, Tatsu leapt out of the way of the fire dragon just in time, though his foot was burnt in the process, sending him skidding across the grounds, only for his foot to be caught by a hand sticking up from underground "Crap."

" **Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"** said hand pulled Tatsu almost completely underground with the exception of his head, and it then revealed itself to be Hayate as he rose up from the ground, only to be met with a puff of smoke "Another Shadow Clone fake out huh?"

" **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** the real Tatsu suddenly burst out from within the trees and unleashed another blast of lightning.

Hayate quickly leapt out of the way of the attack, resulting in the formation of a large crater that the river quickly flowed into and filled almost halfway.

Tatsu pulled himself back to his feet and spat out some blood "Okay… what's next?"

"Now it's my turn." Ayame quickly blitzed through some hand seals " **Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"** she unleashed a large water dragon that quickly shot towards him.

" **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** with his chakra now beginning to run low, Tatsu formed another Shadow Clone and used it to hurl himself at the water dragon " **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he formed several hand seals and hit the water dragon dead on with a blast of lightning, both attacks cancelling each other out " **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he hurtled downwards towards Hayate and Ayame and promptly summoned 10 more Shadow Clones.

"So that's your game." Ayame and Hayate quickly dealt with 2 of the clones each, only to be caught and pulled into the water, but Ayame was able to rebound and readied herself for the next attack that was sure to come " **Water Style: Ripping Torrent!"** she summoned a water spiral in her hand and fired it forward "Bring it!"

"Right! **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** using the last of his chakra, Tatsu summoned one final Purple Thunder blast and slammed it into Ayame's water jutsu, the two of them colliding with extreme force.

' _You've really grown haven't you Tatsu? He'd be proud of you if he could see you now, I just know it.'_ and on that note, the collision subsided, and both of them were blown backwards as a result.

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A little while passed, and things had calmed down.

Tatsu quickly shook off the exhaustion he was feeling as he was pulled by Hayaye and Ayame back to dry land "Well to be honest, that was a lot more hellish than I was actually expecting it to be."

Hayate and Ayame shared a look and gave Tatsu a smile "No need to look so put out about all of that, you did far better than either of us had anticipated."

"Well that helps, but not with any of the burns or bleeding."

"Such things are trivial in one's path as a shinobi." that was when the Third Hokage revealed himself, along with Kakashi and Asuma "You certainly demonstrated a great deal of tactical skill, as well as in various skill sets that are vital for a shinobi to thrive effectively. Now then tell me Hayate, Ayame, is there anything else you would like to add?"

Hayate shook his head "Other than his resilience and spirit, not much."

"I see, then I suppose I have all that I need. Tatsu Kamikaze."

"Too tired to salute." Tatsu gave a tired wave.

"In response to your performance, and the fact that they clearly intend to pass you, I grant you the title of Elite Genin of the Hidden Leaf."

"Yay…" and then he promptly fell to one knee, but despite his exhaustion he couldn't shake his smile ' _Looks like I did it, I'm finally a shinobi for real. I just wish you could've been here to see it happen, but I'll get stronger than anything they've ever seen. For your sake and for the sake of all of them. Just watch over me, brother…'_

 **A/N:**

 **This is the first chapter of this story I've been revising, mainly ironing out some details and expanding on a few things I sort of slacked off with, the first of which being this time I'm showing Tatsu's graduation test against the likes of Ayame and Hayate. Plus I get to showcase the fact that Ayame has shinobi training in this fic, something I'll be going into later on.**

 **I know Mizuki was the reason Naruto found out about the Kyuubi, but him being an evil douche has been done so many times it's become stale and overdone. I couldn't think of anyone else to take his place, so I just made up an OC who's betrayal was as obvious as possible, hence why I named him Aizen. That, and I wanted to try something new that I haven't seen before: making Mizuki a good guy.**

 **The Leaf Dragon God appeared in Shippuden episode 312. I think it has a lot of potential and wasn't used anywhere near to its fullest.**

 **Tatsu (his name means Dragon) will be a one man team with no sensei, inspired by the Fanfiction Naruto: One Man Team. He will be paired with Ino, Lee will be awesome and not a youth-screaming douchebag that's still respectable.**

 **Sakura will be bashed for a large part of Part I, as stated in the summary, but I do have plans for her later on, meant to fill a certain void.**

 **Sasuke will not be a revenge-obsessed psychopath, he will not get the Curse Mark, and he will not leave the village in search of power like he did in canon/**

 **Hayate will die in this fic, but much later, as in surviving into Part II. That's all I'm telling for now.**


	2. Land of Waves, Part I

**KeybladeMasterRiku:** No I am not, and for that matter Sasuke will not be leaving the village in this fic. I have something else in mind for that.

 **Spoon8887:** I know that I don't prefer those kinds of fics, but for all either of us know there may be a fic like that somewhere out there.

 **Knutnputn:** I actually did do that in the first version, but this time around I wanted to do something with more variety.

 **iamOsiris:** Looks interesting.

 **Shinra Izu:** Like I said, I wanted a villain as obvious as possibly to play that role.

 **Hunter XZ:** Okay maybe cliche is the wrong word, but to me it just feels stale and overdone, and I wanted to give my story more variety than that.

 **Nemisis420:** Yeah, I have some plans for Lee later on, and the first step is to give him a considerably different personality.

 **The Violent Imagination:** That's how I do scene changes, and the fact that it covers so much is that there are that many scene changes involved.

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About a week had passed since the graduation exams, and things were about to be kicked into high gear.

Tatsu showed up at the mission hall "Alright, what've we got today?"

"Let's see, Kakashi's team 7 already caught Tora for today." Sarutobi checked the list "Now let's see what's available. Among them is babysitting the chief counselor's 3-year old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging up potatoes-"

"N-O!" Naruto cut him off loudly "I wanna go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff! Come on!"

"He's not wrong." Sasuke pointed out.

"See? He gets it!"

"How dare you!" Iruka barked "You're just a brand new genin with new experience, like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!"

"Are you serious? Babysitting is not a mission, it's just a stupid-"

"Put a lid on it." Tatsu cut him off by hitting him on the head.

Mizuki breathed a sigh of relief "Thank you Tatsu. With all due respect Lord Hokage, he's not wrong D-rank missions are basically us pawning our chores off on them. Besides, Naruto's just trying in his own way to express that he's not a brat anymore. He's a former brat who wants a mission to prove himself. Just a simple C-rank should be enough for now, nothing major."

"So be it." Sarutobi conceded "Since you are so determined Naruto, I'm going to give you a simple C-rank mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey. But only if Tatsu goes with you."

"Yes!" Naruto bolted up "Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess, or some councilor?"

"Don't be so impatient, I will bring him in now." he turned to his secretary "Send in our visitor."

That was when he came in; an old man with a bottle of sake "What the-? A bunch of little snot nosed kids? And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face. You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?"

"Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his-" Naruto cut himself off when he realized who the old man was talking about "I'll demolish you! Let me get my hands on him, I'll destroy that son of a-"

"You can't demolish the client Naruto, otherwise I would've done it myself to so many guys by this point." Tatsu pointed out.

Then the old man finally stopped drinking and turned serious "I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder, and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world, and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your life."

"That's what we get paid for old man. You guys wait at the gate, I've gotta grab something from my apartment and I'll meet you there in half an hour." and he ran off.

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Half an hour later, he found Naruto cheering outside the gates "Yeah, alright!"

"What're you getting so excited about?" asked Sasuke.

"This is the first time I've ever left the village. I'm a traveler now, believe it!"

Tazuna wasn't impressed "Am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke."

"He's with me and I'm an elite genin, and Kakashi here is a full-fledged jonin, so you have no need to worry." Kakashi assured him "And besides, he's got potential when it counts."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

' _Why'd we have to get this old geezer to guard? I'm going to cut him down to size right now!'_ so Naruto then rounded on Tazuna "Hey old man never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake and I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm going to be a Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember it."

"Hokage are powerful and wise, you are puny and brainless. The day you'll become Hokage, I'll sprout wings and fly."

"SHUT UP! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja, including you!"

"You can become Hokage 10 times over, and to me you'll still be nobody, a loser."

"I'm going to make you pay for that right now!"

"Enough." Tatsu got in the way and stopped Naruto's fist with one hand "Old man, just because we have to get you home in one piece doesn't mean you have to be conscious so no picking fights or it's lights out until we get you home. Naruto, you're supposed to protect the client not attack him so no picking fights or you won't get this jutsu." he held up a scroll with a red symbol on it."

Naruto instantly cooled off "You're teaching me a new jutsu?"

"I'm teaching you one, I'm teaching Sasuke the other. One of these for each of you, provided you've both mastered the things I taught you."

Naruto finally shut up after that.

Sasuke looked at Tatsu with a raised eyebrow.

Tatsu just grinned.

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A few hours into the journey, Sakura spoke up "Say, Mr Tazuna?"

"What is it?" asked Tazuna.

"Your country is the Land of Waves, right?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"There are ninja in that country too aren't there?"

"Actually no." Tatsu spoke up "The Land of Waves is ninja free. But in other countries there are hidden villages, each with their own different customs and cultures where ninja reside. To the people of this continent, the existence of shinobi villages means military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries. The ninja villages aren't controlled by any government, they're independent and have equal status. A small island like the Land of Waves has natural protection from the sea, making the need for a ninja village non-existent. The 5 great nations possessing shinobi villages are the Lands of Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning and Wind, each village in that land being ruled by their own Kage, Hokage, Mizukage, Tsuchikage, Raikage and Kazekage, in that order. The Land of Fire has the Hokage and the Hidden Leaf the Land of Water the Hidden Mist, the Land of Earth the Hidden Stone, the Land of Lightning the Hidden Cloud, and the Land of Wind the Hidden Sand."

"Then Lord Hokage's really important!" her inner self stated that she really didn't give a crap.

"Just be glad you haven't seen the 3rd when he's serious, he could oneshot Kakashi if he wanted to."

"He's right." Kakashi agreed "Kage class is far above jonin class, I wouldn't last a minute in a fight against him."

"Anyway, to answer your question Sakura there aren't any battles in a C-rank mission so you can just relax."

"And we're not going to run into any enemy like that." Sakura guessed.

"The odds aren't very high, so we can just use this as an opportunity to train. Which reminds me. Kakashi, hang back a second. Naruto and Sasuke, take up the front."

"Right." Naruto and Sasuke took up the front.

"Alright, Kakashi come back here a second."

Kakashi slowed down a bit to keep pace with Tatsu "So how's your training been going?"

"A learned a kickass taijutsu move the night Aizen went rogue, but I haven't mastered it yet and whenever I use it it leaves me really cut up. Now then, what's your plan for teaching them?"

"Well I plan on teaching Sasuke the Chidori once he awakens the Sharingan and once I think he's ready."

"No need, I've got something for him that he won't need the Sharingan for, and the same goes for Naruto."

"What about Sakura?"

"What about the pink banshee who does nothing but fantasize about raping Sasuke?"

"...Fair enough. So what's your plan?"

"I've got one jutsu for Naruto and one jutsu for Sasuke. The first one is for Sasuke, it's a lightning jutsu specifically designed so he doesn't need his Sharingan to master it. It's called Purple Thunder. The other one is a wind jutsu meant for Naruto called Crimson Wind. it's a barrage of sharp powerful slashes of wind that change colors based on the user's chakra. If it were me, it'd be Skybound Wind or some crap like that."

"That's amazing, where'd you find these jutsu? I've never heard of anything like them."

"My brother created them before he died, wanted to surprise you and Asuma with them but I think Naruto and Sasuke deserve them. Wait." he looked at a puddle suspiciously, then gave Kakashi a subtle nod.

Kakashi returned the gesture, his voice soft "Right."

"I'll go ahead." Tatsu took up the front.

That was when two figures with Hidden Mist headbands appeared and wrapped a shuriken chain around Kakashi, apparently ripping his body to shreds "One down."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried.

They suddenly appeared behind him "Now it's your turn." then charged and landed a light gash on Naruto's jumpsuit.

"Not on my watch!" Tatsu launched a few shuriken, pinning their chains to a tree, and formed several hand seals "Naruto get down! **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** he unleashed a red dragon of flames, engulfing them, but when it subsided there were scorched logs in their places "Damn, substitution."

Then they suddenly appeared and did to Tatsu what they did to Kakashi "Substitution Jutsu. Kid wasn't too bad, but he let his guard down."

"You mean like what you did? **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder."** he placed one hand on each of their gauntlets and unleashed blasts of purple lightning, electrocuting them and knocking them out cold "Alright Kakashi, you can come out now."

Sure enough, Kakashi emerged from the bushes "Very nicely done Tatsu, you've improved since the last time I tested you."

"Wha- How-?" Naruto stammered.

"Sorry I didn't help you right away Naruto, I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I just didn't think you'd freeze up like that." Kakashi picked up the two ninja and tied them to a tree.

Naruto wasn't satisfied in the slightest ' _I was useless, and Tatsu was so cool like he'd done this a thousand times. Didn't he feel scared at all? He looked so calm, not a scratch on him, and I was so lame.'_

"Hey." Sasuke spoke up "You're not hurt are you, scaredy-cat?"

Naruto let out a growl "Sasuke!"

"Naruto." Tatsu shut him up sharply "Stand still and don't move. These ninja have poison in their claws. Hold still." he knelt down and started sucking on the wound, spitting out mouthfuls of blood in the process.

"What're you doing?" asked Sakura.

"Sucking the poison out of his system." he stopped after a moment "Okay, your life isn't in danger so just hold still for a moment. By the way Tazuna."

"Yeah, what?" asked Tazuna.

"We need to talk." Kakashi came over and gestured to where the two ninja were tied to a nearby tree "They're chunin from the Hidden Mist, their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting, no matter what the sacrifice."

"How did you know about our ambush?" one of them questioned.

"The puddle was an obvious sign." explained Tatsu "It was on a puddle on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks. Kakashi could've taken you guys out quickly, but then we would've learned nothing. We had to learn what their target was and what they were after."

"What are you getting at?" asked Tazuna.

"We wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or if they were attacking you, the master bridge builder. When you put in your request for this mission, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highwaymen. You never said there were ninja looking for you and hunting you down. If we knew this it would've been a B-rank mission or higher. Our task was simply to get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we knew we'd be dealing with enemy ninja then would've staffed differently and charged for the cost of a B-rank. Apparently you have your reasons but lying to us about a mission isn't acceptable under any circumstances."

"He's right." Kakashi agreed "We're now beyond the scope of the mission."

"We're genin, this is too advanced for our level of training." Sakura pointed out "We should go back and I really think we need to treat Naruto's wound as soon as possible. Back in our village, we can take him to a doctor."

"Well, Naruto's hand could become a problem. I guess we should go back to the village."

Having had enough, Naruto took out a kunai and stabbed the wound, blood and small drops of liquid spilling out "Why am I so different? Why am I always-"

"Naruto!" Sakura screeched "Stop that, what're you doing?"

"I worked so hard to get here, pushing myself until it hurt, training for hours on end with Tatsu or by myself, anything to get stronger, to reach my dream. I will never back down again and let someone else rescue me, I will never run away and I will not lose to anyone. Upon this wound, I make this pledge, believe it. Bridge builder, I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Naruto." Kakashi spoke up "That was really cool how you took out the rest of the poison and all, but if you lose any more blood you're going to die."

Naruto froze, his face turning blue with sweat.

"Good idea to stop the bleeding now, seriously."

Then Naruto started freaking "No no no, I'm too young for it to all end like this!"

"Quiet." Tatsu shut him up and looked at the injured hand ' _The wound is already starting to heal, is it because of the Kyuubi's chakra?'_

"Hey Tatsu?" Naruto still looked freaked out "You have a really serious look on your face, you're scaring me. Am I okay?"

"Yeah, you should be fine." he wrapped the wound in bandages ' _I guess the Kyuubi knows that if the host dies, he dies too.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The employer of the Demon Brothers, the chunin who attacked the group, was less than pleased to hear that they failed.

However, their superior decided to go personally, and vowed that Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, would be the last person they'd ever see.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The group had taken to the seas via a small boat.

"This fog's so thick, you can't see anything." Sakura's voice was low.

"The bridge isn't far now." the guide told them "Our destination's just ahead, the Land of Waves."

Tatsu quickly put his hand over Naruto's mouth "This bridge is massive." then he turned his attention to Tazuna "So Tazuna, before we reach the pier I wanna ask you something."

Kakashi took over from here "The men who are after you, we need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore."

Tazuna sighed "I have no choice but to tell you. No, I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"Who is it?"

"You know him, at least I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. The shipping magnet, Gato."

"Wait, Gato of Gato Transport? He's a business leader, everyone's knows him." Tatsu pointed out.

"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true. But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago when Gato first set his sights on the Land of Waves, he came to our island and used his vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disappeared. In an island nation, a man who controls the sea controls everything. Finance, government, our very lives. But there's one thing he fears."

"The bridge."

"Yes. when it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control. I am the bridge builder."

"So that's it, since you're in charge of the bridge you're standing in his way." Sasuke noted "So that means those guys we fought in the forest were working for Gato. But if you knew he was dangerous and would do something like this, why did you hide that from us?"

"Because the Land of Waves is a small impoverished nation, even our nobles have little money. The common people who are building this bridge, they can't pay for an A or B ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore then there will be no bridge, they'll assassinate me before I reach home. But don't feel bad about that. Of course, my sweet little grandson will be upset. Oh, and my daughter will condemn the ninja of the Hidden Leaves, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow. Oh well, it's not your fault."

Kakashi voiced the reluctant opinions of the group "Well I guess we have no other choice, we'll have to keep guarding you."

"Oh, I'm very grateful. _I win!'_

"But you suck." Tatsu pointed out.

"We're approaching the shore." the guide pointed out "Tazuna we've been very fortunate, no one has noticed us so far."

Tazuna nodded "Nice going."

The guide slowly brought them to shore and waited until they were all off "That's as far as I go. Good luck."

"Right, thank you for taking such a risk."

"Just be careful." then he left.

"Okay, take me to my home and I mean get me there in one piece."

"Right." Kakashi led the group on their way "Tatsu."

"I know." was all he said ' _The next ninja they send will most likely be jonin instead of chunin, elite ninja with deadly skills possibly rivalling even Kakashi.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the way, Tatsu rushed to the front "Get behind me." he pulled out some shuriken and looked around ' _Where?'_ he paused and heard a rustling in the bushes ' _There!'_ he threw a kunai into the bushes, only to see a white rabbit with a kunai over its head.

"Stop it Tatsu!" Sakura aimed a fist at his head.

Tatsu ducked over it, leaving her to crash into a tree ' _That's a snow rabbit. But they're only supposed to have white fur during winter when the days are short and there's little sunlight. This rabbit was raised indoors away from light, and that could only be done for one purpose. A Substitution Jutsu.'_ he froze "Duck!" he formed several hand seals " **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"** he fired a sharp blast of wind at the tree behind him.

From the wind emerged a massive blade spinning and wedging itself in another tree, and Zabuza stood on the blade ' _No wonder the Demon Brothers failed in their mission. It's the Copy Ninja of the leaf, Kakashi of the Sharingan eye.'_

Kakashi was the one to step forward "Well well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist." he turned to the others "Tatsu, keep them back. He's not like those other ninja."

"I know, he's in a whole other league." Tatsu gestured for the others to stay close to Tazuna "Be careful Kakashi."

"Right. If he's our opponent, I'll need this. This could be treacherous."

Zabuza smirked "Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. Did I get that right? It's too bad, but you'll have to hand over the old man."

"Tatsu." Kakashi looked back "Get the others in manji formation, protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight." then he looked back to the others "I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it." he pulled up his headband, revealing a fully-matured Sharingan "Now I'm ready."

"Well, looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action. This is an honor." then he filled the area with mist "In the assassination unit of the Hidden Mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book, calling you the man who copied over 1,000 jutsu. Kakashi, the copy ninja. Now enough talking, I need to exterminate the old man right now."

Kakashi remained where he was while the others took manji formation.

"So I have to eliminate you first Kakashi? So be it." he suddenly blitzed onto the water in the lake close by and formed a hand seal.

' _He's building up a huge amount of chakra.'_

" **Ninja art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."** Zabuza quickly unleashed his Hidden Mist Jutsu, covering the area in thick mist.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi warned.

Tatsu nodded "Zabuza Momochi, the former leader of the Hidden Mist Assassination Unit. He's a master of the Silent Killing technique. As the name suggests, it happens in an instant without any sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast, you pass from this life without even realizing what happened."

"The Sharingan can't fully neutralize it, so don't lower your guard."

"Understood."

"Well if we fail we only lose our lives."

"How can you say that?" Sakura snapped.

"The mist is getting thicker." Naruto noticed.

"The Land of Waves is surrounded by ocean." explained Tazuna "The swirling mists are ever present."

Then Kakashi disappeared with the thickening mist.

"8 points." Zabuza's voice rang through the air "Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Now, which will be my kill point."

Kakashi quickly built up chakra to blow away the mist and noticed that Sasuke was about to lose it from the tension "Sasuke, calm down. I'll protect you with my life, all of you." he gave an eye smile "I will not allow my comrades to die, trust me."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Zabuza appeared in between all of the genin, having broken through the formation with ease "It's over." he swung his Executioner's Blade.

Kakashi stopped him single-handedly, allowing Tatsu and the other genin to get Tazuna out of the way, and stabbed Zabuza in the gut with a kunai, but only water came out of the wound instead of blood, before it dissolved into water ' _A water clone.'_

"Die!" the real Zabuza appeared and cleaved Kakashi in two, only for that one to dissolve into water as well ' _The Water Clone jutsu, it can't be. Even in the mist, he saw through my illusion and copied it in an instant.'_

The real Kakashi appeared behind him and held a kunai to his neck "Don't move. Now it's over. You're finished."

However, Zabuza let out a chuckle "Finished? You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing but a crass imitation, I'll never be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you. You are full of surprises though, you'd already copied my Water Clone Jutsu when you made your little speech. Very skillfully executed. You made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you hid in the mist waiting for me to make my move." then another Zabuza appeared behind him "Nice try, but I'm not that easy to fool." his clone dissipated, and the real one swung his Executioner's Blade.

Kakashi ducked under it, only to be kicked in the face and sent flying.

Zabuza grabbed the blade and charged, but stopped "Makibishi spikes. Trying to slow me down. Foolish." he leapt back into the water.

"He's got great physical skill too." Tatsu noted "Everyone be on guard."

Kakashi emerged from the water but noticed something off ' _This isn't normal water, it's dense and heavy.'_

"Fool!" Zabuza suddenly appeared behind him " **Water Prison Jutsu!"**

"No!" Kakashi found himself trapped in a ball of water "Escaping into the water, bad mistake."

"This prison is made of water, but it's stronger than steel. It's hard to fight when you can't move, so much for the great Kakashi. I'll finish you off later. But first, your little friends will have to be eliminated. **Water Clone Jutsu."**

' _He's even more skilled than I thought.'_

Tatsu was the only one of them not petrified by fear "Guys, keep it together."

A water clone of Zabuza formed "You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja. When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't faze you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly your profile is entered in my bingo book, then you _may_ have earned the title ninja. But to call upstarts like you ninja is a joke." he disappeared again and kicked Naruto in the face, sending him flying, causing his headband to fall off, which he promptly stepped on "You're just brats."

"Listen, get the bridge builder and run!" Kakashi barked "You can't win this fight. He's using all his power to keep me in this prison, so he can only fight you with his water clone but the clone can't go far from his real body. If you get away from him then he can't follow, now run!"

Tatsu already disagreed almost immediately ' _Running isn't an option, it became unthinkable the moment you got caught. No matter how fast we run or how far we go, he'll track us down and wipe us out. He can get around a manji formation in an instant. In the end, if we're on our own. Our only chance of surviving is saving you and letting you beat him. At my current level, even I can't defeat him.'_

"We've got to do it!" Sasuke charged in an fired a barrage of shuriken and kunai.

Zabuza easily batted them away with his sword and kicked him away.

"Now!" Tatsu leapt into the air, drew his sword, and brought it down.

"Not bad." Zabuza blocked the sword with his own, then kicked him away.

Naruto froze ' _He got both Tatsu and Sasuke? So this is what a jonin is, a true elite ninja. I've gotta get away, if I don't then he'll seriously annihilate me.'_ he started to crawl away, but stopped when he felt a searing pain in his hand. Then he looked at his hand and remembered his oath from before, along with every important moment in his life since graduating ' _That's right, I'm a ninja now, believe it. I swore an oath of pain. I won't run away!'_ he let out a scream and charged.

Kakashi froze even more than he already had "Naruto, no!"

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed "What in the world are you doing?"

Tatsu smirked "Now that's balls worthy of the Hokage name."

Naruto got sent tumbling back "Ow…"

"What're you thinking charging at him by yourself?" Sakura screamed "Even Sasuke couldn't get to him. We're only genin, we can't defeat a jonin! What'd you think you'd accomplish by that?"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto finally exploded "I am sick and tired of listening to you screeching in my face, always putting me down, and now you insult me and Tatsu for being orphans! I can't believe I ever saw anything in you! Well if you're not even gonna bother to help, just stay out of my way!" he slowly stood, gripping the headband, and turned back to Zabuza "Hey you, the freak with no eyebrows. Put this in your bingo book, the ninja that will become Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, he never backs down. His name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Tazuna saw the kid in a new light ' _I thought he was all talk, but this kid's got guts.'_

"Tatsu, Sasuke, you guys hear me?"

"Loud and clear. What's up?" asked Tatsu.

"I've got a plan."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow ' _Now he's got a plan? He's unbelievable._ So you're finally thinking about teamwork huh?"

"Alright, now guys, let's go wild! Ready? Let's bring this guy down."

Zabuza chuckled "Big words for such a little man, you think your plan's going to keep you in the game?"

"What are you doing? I told you to run!" Kakashi barked "This fight was over the moment I got caught, now take off. Your mission is not to prove how brave you are, it's to save the bridge builder. Stay on mission!"

Tatsu turned to Tazuna "Bridge builder?"

Tazuna let out a heavy sigh "Well I guess this all happened because of me-"

"You guess?"

"Because of my desire to live, but I won't let that stand in your way now. Forget about me, do what you have to do. Go ahead and fight to save your sensei."

"Alright, you guys hear that?"

Naruto smirked "Yeah, believe it. You guys ready?"

Zabuza let out a laugh "You really haven't learned anything, have you? Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja. When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents."

"I know fully well Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist." Tatsu snarled.

"Oh, so I was in your book too huh?"

"Long ago, the Hidden Mist, aka Blood Mist Village, before a student could become a ninja, there was one final test."

"Do you know about the graduation exam?"

"You mean the one where you had to slaughter your class in order to pass? Yeah not gonna lie, the 4th Mizukage was a major dick. He died about 3 years ago."

"As I was saying. Imagine young ninja like you- eating together, training together- and then comes the final exam. Only they change the rules, kill or be killed. You can't stop while your opponent still breathes. He was your friend, shared your dreams. Now, it's him or you."

"10 years ago in the Hidden Mist, the graduation exam changed. 1 year before, a dark evil had filled the school with terror. Without pause or hesitation, a young boy who wasn't even a ninja approached the class and took out over 100 other students."

"It… It felt so… Good!" Zabuza suddenly blitzed forward and elbowed Sasuke in the gut, sending him tumbling, then elbowed him again, causing him to cough up blood "You're nothing."

"Stop right there! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Naruto summoned several clones.

"Shadow Clones, and there's quite a few of them."

"Here we go!" they all drew kunai and charged.

Zabuza blew them all away with ease.

"I'm not giving up, I've still got this!" he pulling something from his pack "Sasuke!"

"Right!" Sasuke caught it ' _So that was your plan? Not bad Naruto, not bad at all.'_ he quickly unfolded it, revealing a large shuriken " **Demon Wind Shuriken, Windmill of Shadows!"**

Zabuza looked on with disdain "A shuriken? You'll never touch me with that."

"We'll see." Sasuke leapt into the air and threw it.

Zabuza, the real one, found it heading straight for him "So you passed the clone and aimed for my real body. Smart, but not smart enough." he caught it with his free hand, then noticed another one coming "A second shuriken in the shadow of the first. The Shadow Shuriken Jutsu." he leapt over the second one, dodging it "I told you, a shuriken can't touch me."

"Wanna bet?" the shuriken suddenly transformed, into Tatsu "Nice work Naruto, now let me handle this. **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** he unleashed a red fire dragon from his mouth.

Zabuza was forced to move to avoid the attack, letting go of the water prison jutsu in the process, and attempted a counterattack "I'll destroy you!"

That is, until Kakashi stopped the attack with his bare hand, glaring furiously at Zabuza with his Sharingan eye "Not on your life."

Naruto quickly leapt over and landed _on_ the water "Kakashi-sensei!"

"Naruto, that was an excellent plan. That was your plan, right?"

"Yep!"

"You've really grown haven't you?"

"I knew I couldn't beat him with my shadow clones, that was just to distract him. While he fought the clones, I had Tatsu turn into the Demon Wind Shuriken. He didn't know what to do, believe it!"

"Stop saying that!" Tatsu smacked him on the head "I don't give a damn if we're fighting a rogue jonin, stop saying that!"

"Never!" then he turned back to Kakashi "Anyway, I used one of the clones to transform into the Demon Wind Shuriken. When I threw it to Sasuke, it looked like a real shuriken. Sasuke could tell it was me in a second, he spun around so no one could see and pulled out his own shuriken. Now there were two shuriken, one was real and one was me. I hid in the shadow of the real shuriken, and my target was the real Zabuza. Of course I knew that I couldn't fight Zabuza myself, that wasn't in the game plan. I just wanted to get in there and break up his water prison. I didn't know his clone would be wrecked too. That was a bonus."

Zabuza grunted "I got distracted and lost my grip on the water prison."

"Don't flatter yourself." Kakashi growled "You weren't distracted, you were forced to let go. Your technique worked on me once, but it won't work again. So what's it gonna be?"

Zabuza folded up the shuriken and began putting more pressure down.

Kakashi quickly batted it away and broke away, his Sharingan active. He, along with Zabuza began forming several hand seals, the water rupturing around them " **Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu."** two water dragons appeared and clashed with each other ferociously, eventually cancelling each other out.

Zabuza charged in with his Executioner's Blade.

Kakashi blocked it with a kunai.

' _Something isn't right. The Sharingan can comprehend and replicate the enemy's technique. However, both jutsu occurred simultaneously. Could it be?'_ he broke away and formed a hand seal, only to find that Kakashi was copying his moves exactly as he did it ' _Movements, it's as if he knows what I'm-'_

"-going to do next?"

' _What? Is he reading my mind as well? He looks at me with that eye.'_

"It makes you furious doesn't it?"

Zabuza formed a hand seal "All you're doing is copying me like a monkey. You can't beat me with cheap tricks. I'll crush you."

"You can't beat me with cheap tricks. I'll crush you." he said this the exact same time Zabuza did.

"When I finish with you, you'll never open that monkey mouth again." then he noticed something behind Kakashi ' _What is that?'_ it turned into a copy of Zabuza himself ' _It's me, but how? Is it his illusion jutsu?'_

This time, Kakashi acted first " **Water style: Giant Vortex Jutsu."** the tomoe in his eye began spinning.

"Impossible!" Zabuza was engulfed in a gigantic water vortex ' _I was just about to create a vortex, but he created one first. He copies my jutsu before I can even do it. I can't keep up!'_ he let out a yell and got swept away, eventually being slammed into a tree as the massive waves finally died down, only to be pinned to a tree by several kunai.

Kakashi was perched on the branch above him "You're finished."

"How? Can you see into the future?"

"Yes, this is your last battle ever." he was about to finish it, only to stop when Zabuza was hit with two senbon to the neck, sending him crashing to the ground.

That was when a figure with a Mist Anbu mask made himself known "You were right, it was his last battle."

Tatsu bolted over and checked on Zabuza "Yeah, he's dead alright. No vital signs."

The figure bowed to Tatsu and Kakashi "Thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down."

"By your mask, I see you're a tracker ninja for the Hidden Mist."

"Impressive. You're well-informed."

"When a rogue ninja breaks away from their village they carry all kinds of secrets with them, and trackers are specifically trained to hunt down these ninja and eliminate them."

"That's correct. I'm a member of the elite tracking unit of the Hidden Mist. It was my duty to stop Zabuza."

' _From his size and voice, he must be the same age as me, and he's an elite assassin? He's no ordinary kid that's for sure, but what is he?'_

That was when Naruto pointed at the figure and started barking "What is this? Who do you think you are?"

"Calm down Naruto, he's not our enemy."

"That's not the point! Did you see what he did, just like that? Zabuza was huge and powerful like some kind of monster, and this kid who's no bigger than me brought down Zabuza with one move like it was nothing. I mean, what does that make us? We're just fumbling around, we don't know anything. How can I accept that?"

"By training and getting stronger so guys like that don't show you up and I don't have to listen to you whining like a little bitch, or Sakura over there. Besides, whether you accept it or not, the fact of the matter is that it happened. In this world, there are kids who are younger than us and probably stronger than Kakashi. In other words, get over your damn self."

The figure then went over and picked up Zabuza's body "Your struggle is over for now, I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body, they must not be allowed to get into the wrong hands. Please excuse me. Farewell." and with that, he vanished.

Tatsu sighed as he heard Naruto growl "He's gone, get over it."

Naruto ignored him and started punching the ground "What are we doing here? We're nothing! I can't believe it!"

Tatsu finally grabbed his fist "As shinobi, the things we encounter are never easy. Save your anger for training, so you're ready for the next enemy. We haven't completed our mission yet, we still have to get the bridge builder. To his bridge."

Tazuna chuckled "Sorry I caused all this trouble for ya, but you can rest at my house when we get to the village."

"Alright, let's get a move on. Hey Kakashi, how long are you gonna stay conscious after using your Sharingan like that?"

"About this long." then Kakashi promptly collapsed.

"He'll be fine, just chakra exhaustion." Tatsu promptly created 3 Shadow Clones and all 4 grabbed Kakashi "Come on, let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later, they arrived at Tazuna's house and let Kakashi sleep.

"Will he be alright?" asked Tazuna's daughter Tsunami.

"From what I can tell, it'll be a week before he can move normally." Tatsu told her "It'd be best just to let him recover until then."

"Well he did take down a powerful ninja assassin." Tazuna pointed out "So we should be safe for awhile."

"Right, but that boy with the mask, what about him?" Sakura wondered.

"He's from the elite tracking unit of the Hidden Mist." explained Tatsu "Those masks are only worn by the most elite shinobi."

"What exactly do they do?"

"They destroy all traces of a rogue ninja's corpse. The body of a shinobi contains many secrets, if his enemies find them then the people of his village will be in grave danger. For instance, if Kakashi were to die at the hands of an enemy then he would try to analyze his Sharingan. In the worse case, his entire jutsu collection could be stolen and used against the Leaf. It's the sacred duty of shinobi trackers to prevent this in order to keep the secrets of the village safe. If a ninja betrays his village, the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him, and destroy any trace of his remains. That's their specialty." then he tensed.

"What's wrong?" asked Naruto.

"Sorry, I'm just a little tense. _If Zabuza is finished then why do I feel this way? Something's not right._ Anyway, to finish what I was saying, tracker ninja are supposed to deal with the body immediately on the spot so there's no room for error."

"Is that really important?" asked Sakura.

"Think about it, do you remember what the tracker did with Zabuza's body?"

"We don't know what he did, I mean I guess he took it away somewhere."

"Exactly, but he should've worked on Zabuza right then and there as quickly as possible. You guys notice the weapons he used for the takedown?"

"Throwing needles." as soon as he said this, Sasuke realized what Tatsu was getting at "Hold on, you don't mean-"

"Exactly."

"What're you all yammering about?" asked Tazuna "Your sensei demolished that assassin."

"I'm gonna be blunt here. Zabuza's still alive."

"But we saw his body!" Naruto suppressed the urge to say believe it "You checked it yourself Tatsu, you said his heart stopped."

"It did, but that was just a temporary death-like state. That tracker used senbon, they can pierce deeply but rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ, not in the neck. They're modified from needles used for medical treatments like acupuncture. Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body, causing the heart to stop for awhile and keeping the body alive is a cakewalk for them. First, he carried Zabuza's body away even though it's much heavier than he is. Second, he used senbon which have a precise effect but are rarely fatal. From these two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to destroy Zabuza, but actually save him."

"Come on, you're overthinking this aren't you?" Tazuna commented.

"In any case of suspicion, the ninja prepares quickly. Hesitation almost always leads to disaster and usually death. Every shinobi should know this. Naruto, wipe off that grin."

Naruto did "Sorry, it's just that I'm glad I get another shot at him."

"...You got into my stash of sugar again, didn't you?"

"Tatsu, you said prepare quickly." Sakura noted "But how can we do that when Kakashi-sensei isn't even conscious?"

"In the case of a jonin of chunin being unable to perform leadership duties, the next highest ranking will take charge. Since you guys are regular genin and I'm an elite genin, I'll be taking charge until Kakashi recovers. I might not be a jonin, but I can train you just as effectively as Kakashi would."

"Hold on, a little last-minute training won't make us strong enough to fight Zabuza. Kakashi-sensei could barely defeat him even with your Sharingan. We have to be reasonable about this."

"Use your head Bubblegum textbook, why was Kakashi able to stop Zabuza? Because we helped him. You've all grown… two of you have grown. Naruto here has grown the most in the last 3 months, and Sasuke's growth isn't too shabby either."

Naruto grinned "So you noticed Tatsu."

"So did you and Sasuke master the things I taught you?"

"Yeah, I got it down in a week flat!"

"Good, then I can teach you two the good stuff. And Naruto, this is the one and only time I will _ever_ let you say it."

"Now things are gonna get better, believe it!"

"I don't believe it, and nothing's gonna be good!" a new voice cut in.

Tatsu looked back to see a boy in the doorway "And you are?"

Tazuna grinned "Inari, where have you been?"

"Welcome back grandpa!" Inari ran over and hugged him, completely blowing off Tatsu and the others.

"Inari, that was very rude." Tsunami scolded "These ninja helped your grandpa and brought him here safely."

"It's okay it's okay, I'm rude to them too." Tazuna pointed out "And they're okay with it."

"No we're not." was the general chorus.

Inari just turned to Tsunami "Mom, don't you see? These people are gonna die. Gato and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out."

"What did you say brat?" Naruto finally had enough "Listen up, you know what a super ninja is? Well that's me, only a lot better. This Gato or Blato or whatever he's called is no match for a real hero like me."

"There's no such thing as a hero, you're just full of stupid ideas."

Tatsu put a hand over Naruto's mouth and grabbed him by the waist "If you're gonna wrap up your whole emo rant you better do it before I lose my grip on him."

"If you wanna stay alive, you should go back where you came from."

"Inari wait, where are you going?" asked Tazuna.

"To look out at the ocean, I wanna be alone." and he walked off.

"Sorry about that."

Tatsu quickly held up a scroll in Naruto's face "Naruto calm down, just let the kid be and let's get to training."

Naruto agreed, albeit very reluctantly.

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Tatsu later led Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura out into the nearby forest "Alright guys, training starts now. I'll be real with you guys for a second. Sakura, you're way behind these two. You've barely scratched the surface of your chakra, so you're gonna train so hard that controlling your chakra becomes second nature. For this to work, you've gotta be ready to put your life on the line."

"What do I have to do?" asked Sakura.

"It's actually really simple, you have to climb a tree."

"...Climb a tree?"

"Yeah that's right, but there's just one rule. No hands." he formed a hand sign and began generating chakra, then began slowly walking up the side of the tree, stopping as he walked along the bottom of a large branch "Alright, I think you get the idea. Focus the chakra toward the soles of your feet and use it to connect to the tree."

"Wait a minute, that's a nice trick how does it help usu fight Zabuza?"

"Sakura, this is the only way to fight him. That's the entire goal of your training here."

"Wait, what do you mean my training? Why am I the only one who has to do this?"

"Because Naruto, Sasuke and I already know how."

"Well you must've learned it from Sasuke you-"

"Sakura, shut up." Sasuke let out an exasperated groan and picked her up by the front of her shirt, then levelled her an annoyed glare "Sakura, I'm only saying this once. Mind your own damn business. Tatsu has spent every day of the last 4 years training under the most elite ninja our village has to offer, and the reason I'm at the level I am is because I've been training with him. So shut up, train for once in your life, and do something already."

Tatsu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose "Thank you Sasuke." then he threw a kunai knife at Sakura's feet "Use that to mark the highest point you can reach on the tree using only chakra control." then he leapt down "Now then Naruto, Sasuke, come with me and I'll teach you two the good stuff. But first, **Shadow Clone Jutsu."** he created 3 clones "Alright guys, one of them for each of you while I go keep an eye on Tazuna down at the bridge." and he took off.

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Firstly, Naruto and Shadow Clone 1.

Tatsu held out a red scroll to Naruto "Alright, here's the deal. I've been observing you and your chakra control for awhile now, and I've discovered your chakra element."

Naruto blinked "My element?"

"That's right stupid, the element of your chakra, like how Kakashi could use that water jutsu against Zabuza or how I can use my wind, lightning and fire jutsu. This is a wind style jutsu created by my brother before he died, it's basically a powerful barrage of wind slashes that changes color based on the user's chakra. Considering _that_ chakra within you, this version of the technique will be called Crimson Wind."

"Awesome…"

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Now for Sasuke and Shadow Clone 2.

Tatsu held out a purple scroll to Sasuke "Alright, here's the deal. My brother created this along with Naruto's jutsu before he died. He already mastered Kakashi's own lightning jutsu but could only use it when he activated his eyes, though this was really taxing in terms of chakra. So to compensate for that, he created a version that focused less on the change in nature and more on the change in form, so his eyes wouldn't be necessary."

"Wait, your brother had an ability in his eyes?" asked Sasuke, astonished.

"Everyone in my clan has them, I just haven't unlocked them yet. Apparently they're awakened by the user when they're at their physical weakness yet their iron will is unwavering and my brother awakened his when our parents died during the Kyuubi attack."

"What's this ability called?"

"It's called the Tenseigan. And once you master them to their fullest extent, which hasn't been done since the age of the Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage, and Madara Uchiha. Now back to the jutsu." he channeled some lightning chakra into his hand, the lightning died down and took on the form of what looked like a crescent moon, and he fired it, slashing through several trees before it subsided "When you loosen up on the nature and focus on the form, you can create a sharp powerful slash of lightning and that change in form changes the color, hence why my brother dubbed it Purple Thunder."

"Wow."

"Yeah, you've really grown. Naruto has too, he's catching the hang of the Crimson Wind Jutsu right now. From now on, he's gonna keep getting stronger and stronger."

"How strong?"

"Who's to say? After all, he possesses more chakra than you do. In fact, he possesses more chakra than either me or Kakashi."

"Hey." a new voice cut in.

Tatsu turned to see Inari standing nearby "Yeah?"

"Mom wanted me to tell you your sensei's awake."

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As work on the bridge progressed, Tatsu, the real one that was looking after Tazuna, took note of the poverty and fear that had been instilled in the people of the Land of Waves.

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At dinner, the rivalry with Naruto and Sasuke was in full swing.

Tatsu sighed "You know guys, it was funny at first but now it's just weird."

After dinner, Sakura noticed something "Excuse me, this picture is torn. Is there some reason for that? Inari, you kept glancing at t all through dinner. It looks like there was someone else in the picture, but they got torn out. I mean, that's kind of strange isn't it?"

"It's my husband." Tsunami spoke up after a moment.

Tazuna let a sad sigh "They used to call him a hero in this land."

Tsunami noticed Inari walking out of the room "Father you can't talk about him like that in front of Inari, you know that." and she went after him.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Tatsu guessed.

"He wasn't his real father, he came into our family later." Tazuna told them "And he brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close. In those days, Inari used to laugh all the time. But then… all that ended. He never laughs or smiles anymore, ever since the day everything changed. The word _courage_ was stolen from this island. We were left feeling powerless, hopeless, and Inari suffered the most, ever since that day, ever since it happened."

"What happened?"

"First you need to know about the man, his father. The man who taught us the word courage, who was a hero in this land. He came here about 3 years ago. Inari was being picked on by some kids and pushed into the ocean, he couldn't swim at the time, but that man saved him. The man who taught us courage. His name was Kaiza, a simple fisherman who'd come here from another land to follow his dreams. After that, Inari and Kaiza were inseparable. The boy had never known his real father, so you can imagine what it meant to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his footsteps, like a real father and son. Kaiza spent more and more time with us, until he just naturally became a member of our family. And then when this town needed him, he became something more. From that time on, Kaiza was considered a hero in this land. He taught us all the meaning of courage, and Inari was so proud to be his son. But it wasn't long after that Gato showed up and took over. He terrorized the whole village. Only Kaiza stood up to him. Gato couldn't have a local hero getting in his way. It took his whole gang to stop one man. Gato had him publicly executed after that, as an example so no one would dare stand in his way again. Since then Inari has changed, so did Tsunami and all our people. We lost our will."

Naruto thought back to what Inari had said about heroes "Guys, come one." he suddenly face-planted into the ground.

"Take a breather for today, you've used up too much chakra." Tatsu told him "Sasuke, the same should probably go for you too. If you guys push any harder, it might kill you."

"I'm gonna prove it."

"Prove what?" asked Sakura.

"I'll prove that- that it's true. That in this world, there are real heroes."

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Morning came, and Haku had gone out to get some herbs to speed up Zabuza's recovery, when he noticed Naruto passed out on the ground nearby. Instantly recognizing him from before, he went over Naruto, but instead of hurting him he shook him awake "You'll catch a cold if you sleep here, wake up."

Naruto sat up and let out a groan "Who the heck are you? Oh, I mean, hi there. Where did you come from? You know, what're you doing out here and all that?"

"I'm gathering herbs, they're for treating illnesses in human wounds."

"You start work early huh sis?"

"I like it early, it's calm, but I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out here in the woods."

"I'm training."

"So are you a ninja? I noticed that headband you're wearing, or are you just making a fashion statement."

"You noticed that? Alright. Only super cool ninja can wear these."

"Oh really, I see. That's very impressive. But does that mean you're training for something dangerous?"

"I'm just developing my skills so I can get stronger."

"You seem very strong now, isn't that enough?"

"Nope, I need to get stronger and stronger. I've gotta keep practicing."

"How so? Why is it important?"

"So I can become the best ninja in my village, and everyone will know who I am and they'll all respect me. There's also a certain person, a kid that I have to prove something to."

"So are you doing it for this certain person, or are you doing all this training for yourself?"

"Huh?"

Haku chuckled.

"What're you laughing about? What's so funny?"

"Is there someone who's precious to you?"

"Someone who- What're you saying sis, what do you mean precious?"

Haku flashed back to the first time she met Zabuza "You see, when a person has something precious to protect that they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong."

Naruto thought back to how he protect Tatsu, Mizuki and Iruka from Aizen "Yeah I hear you, I know exactly what you're saying."

Haku stood and picked up the basket of herbs "You will get strong, very strong. Goodbye, we'll meet again sometime. Oh, by the way, I'm a boy."

' _Huh?! No way, everything I know is a lie!'_

That was when Tatsu showed up with Sasuke in tow and looked back at Haku's retreating form, then shared a look, before Tatsu led Sasuke over to Naruto "Alright guys, how far are you on master the jutsus I taught you?"

'We're both up to 4 uses each, almost to 5." Sasuke told him.

"Good, I want you both up to 5 uses before Zabuza gets back. Got it?"

"Right."

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Tatsu came in carrying Naruto while a Shadow Clone carried Sasuke "Sorry we're late."

"What've you been up to?" asked Tazuna "You guys look like something the cat dragged in."

"Just getting some more training in." he turned to Kakashi "They're both up to 5 uses now."

Kakashi nodded in approval "Good, now we move on. Starting tomorrow, you'll all be bodyguards for Tazuna."

"Fair enough, it's about time we get to do something interesting."

"In a few more days, the bridge will be finished." Tazuna told them "I have you to thank for that."

"You've all done great, but you've still got to be careful." Tsunami warned.

"I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance until now. Why did you stay and protect me, even after you found out I lied to bring you here?"

Tatsu shrugged "Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader cowardice cannot survive."

"Huh?"

"That's a quote by our village's founder and first leader, Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, the strongest and wisest of them all."

"But why?" Inari finally spoke up.

Naruto blinked "What was that?"

"All this stupid training is just a waste of time. Gato's got a whole army, they'll beat you down and they'll destroy you. These cool things you all say, they don't mean anything. No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose."

"Just speak for yourself, it won't be like that for me. You got that?"

"Why don't you be quiet? Looking at you makes me sick. You don't know anything about this country, you're just butting in. Always laughing and playing around. You don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt."

Naruto finally had enough and decided to put him in his place "Listen to yourself whining and complaining like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day for all I care, you're nothing but a coward."

"Naruto, you went too far." Sakura scolded.

Naruto snorted and walked off.

Sasuke looked at Inari, then at Tatsu and Kakashi.

He would take care of this one.

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Nightfall came, and Inari was sitting out on the pier.

"You got a sec?"

Inari looked back and saw Sasuke sit down beside him "Oh, hey."

"Naruto can be harsh sometimes, but he doesn't hate you. Your grandpa told us what happened to your father. You probably don't know this, but Naruto grew up without a father too, or any parents for that matter, and he didn't have a single friend in our village. Tatsu's parents died when he was a baby, leaving him and his older brother alone, and his brother died about 5 years ago, at the hands of the same man who slaughtered my clan. Kakashi's had it rough too. His father was a respected ninja in our village, but he chose to save his friends over finishing a mission and everyone turned on him for it. He couldn't take it anymore and took his own life, and Kakashi's been on his own since then."

"What about Sakura?"

"What about her? She's been sheltered more than humanly possible. Still, Naruto had it a lot worse than any of us., but I've never seen him cry or sulk and absolutely never have I ever seen him give up. He's always eager to jump in. He wants to be respected, that's his dream and he'll put his life on the line for that in a heartbeat. My best guess is that he just got tired of crying and decided to do something about it. We're all young and still learning, but Naruto of all people knows what it means to be strong like your father did, and like Tatsu's brother. I think he knows better than any of us what you're going through. What Naruto told you earlier, as cruel as it sounded it's probably something he's told himself a thousand times."

Inari said nothing, but he had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

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"Alright then, I'll leave Naruto and Tatsu in your hands." Kakashi told Tsunami "Naruto's pushed his body to the limit, overdoing it as usual, so he may not be able to move today at all, and Tatsu's finally let the stress and tension building up in him wear him out so he probably won't move today either."

"What about you?" asked Tsunami "You're still recovering yourself."

"Why, do I look wobbly? I'll be okay." and they set off.

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At the same time, Haku and Zabuza were nearing the bridge to do their job.

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Naruto bolted awake "Why didn't somebody wake me up? Where are they? Where'd they all go?"

"They wanted us to rest."

Naruto looked to see Tatsu already geared up "I knew it, they ditched us!" he got dressed as fast as he could "Come on already!"

"Don't push your luck." Tatsu strapped his katana to his back "Alright, let's move."

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"Hold on, what the heck is this?!" Tazuna froze at the sight he saw on the bridge; the workers all lying unconscious and injured "What happened? Someone was here, someone got to them."

Kakashi froze when he saw the mist ' _This mist._ Sasuke, Sakura, get ready. I knew he was still alive, he just couldn't wait for round 2."

"Kakashi-sensei, it's Zabuza isn't it?" Sakura guessed "This is his Hidden Mist Jutsu."

"Sorry I kept you waiting, Kakashi." Zabuza's voice rang through the air "I see you've still got those brats with you. That one's still trembling, pitiful." then multiple Zabuza's surrounded them.

Sasuke smirked "You've got the wrong idea Zabuza, I'm trembling with excitement." he formed several hand seals " **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he unleashed a blast of purple lightning that circled around and destroyed every clone in mere seconds ' _I can see it.'_

"So you could see they were water clones, huh?" the real Zabuza showed up "And with that blast of lightning you took them all out at once. The brat's improving. Looks like you've got a rival Haku."

"So it seems." Haku agreed.

"Well well, so I had it right." Kakashi noted "It was all an act, with a cute little mask."

Sasuke smirked "Complete fake, I guess all that about being a tracker ninja protecting his village was a complete load. You guys look pretty close to me, I'd say you've been pulling scams like that for awhile. You've got a lot of nerve facing us again after pulling that."

"And hiding behind that mask, who does he think he's fooling?"

"First of all, speak for yourself. Second, I'm taking him out. Who does he think he's fooling, hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown?"

"Sasuke, you're so cool." Sakura squealed.

"You're hopeless."

"He's impressive." Haku noted "Even though they were just 1/10 of the strength of the original Water Clone Jutsu, he did destroy them all."

"That move still gave us the first advantage, now use it." Zabuza ordered.

"Right." Haku suddenly blitzed towards him like a tornado.

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At the same time, two of Gato's thugs had shown up to kidnap Tsunami, but Inari, mustering what courage he could, charged at them in an attempt to stop them.

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Sasuke was barely able to block Haku's senbon with his own kunai ' _Damn, he's fast.'_

' _So he can keep up with Haku's speed, huh?'_ Zabuza noted.

"Sakura, cover Tazuna and stay close to me." Kakashi ordered "Let Sasuke handle this."

"We want the bridge builder not you, if you back down I won't have to kill you." Haku offered.

Sasuke smirked "Save it."

"You're making a mistake, you won't be able to keep up with my speed. I've gained 2 key advantages."

"And they would be?"

"First, we're surrounded by water. Second, I've blocked one of your hands and therefore you only have one free hand to defend yourself." he began forming hand signs.

' _What? Using one hand? Hand signs with only one hand? That's a thing?'_

" **Secret Jutsu, 1,000 Needles of Death."** Haku stomped his foot in the water, which began levitating around them and forming hundreds of water needles.

' _Remember your training, focus. Summon my chakra at once.'_

The needles closed in.

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The thugs only slashed a log with their swords a "A Substitution Jutsu!"

"The woman, she's gone."

"Sorry we're a little late."

They looked to see Tatsu and Naruto laying Tsunami down close by.

"You know, heroes usually showed up." Naruto gave a foxy grin "Inari, you did great. When you charged, they forgot about your mom for a minute. That gave me a chance to use a cool jutsu to get her away from them."

"Wait, how'd you know these samurai guys were coming here?" asked Inari.

"We found a wounded boar in the forest." explained Tatsu "It and the trees all had a bunch of slash marks and followed them back here."

"That was really smart."

"Blah blah." the thugs grumbled "It's just a few of those puny ninja brats Tazuna hired. Let's get him." they charged.

Naruto stood " **Wind Style: Crimson Wind."** he fired a sharp blast of red wind, hitting each of them square in the chest, leaving them unconscious on the ground bleeding heavily "And that's now it's done, believe it."

Tatsu smacked him on the head and tied the thugs up "Alright, let's go."

 **A/N:**

 **Purple Thunder is basically the same as Purple Lightning, a jutsu that was created by Kakashi after the 4th Great Ninja War to in order to compensate for no longer being able to use his Lightning Blade due to the loss of his Sharingan. Seeing what it did to Nue in the Boruto series, I think Sasuke could make some use out of it, at least for a little while.**

 **I figured there's Purple Thunder and Naruto has the Kyuubi's chakra, so I made up the colorful wind attack that changes the name based on the wielder's chakra. I call it Color Wind, but in Naruto's case it'll be Crimson Wind due to him using the crimson colored chakra of the Kyuubi.**

 **It's never said exactly when Yagura died, so I just said about 3 years before Part I took place, in order to make the Itachi Shinden arc canon, since Yagura fought Juzo and Itachi after the massacre.**

 **I, like many others, despise that catchphrase "Believe it", so I'm making it a running joke that Tatsu hates it as well.**


	3. Land of Waves, Part II

**Pigs103:** Okay looking back, I think cliche is the wrong word to use, but to me it feels stale and overused, so I just wanted to add a little bit of variety into my story. Also, I'm not trying to make it so Tatsu is giving orders or is really arrogant, he just knows what he's doing in these kinds of situations. As for him not referring to Kakashi as sensei, I established in the first chapter that he only believes Hayate to be worthy of Tatsu calling him sensei.

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' _Summon my chakra all at once.'_ Sasuke summoned his chakra as they closed in ' _Now!'_

Haku broke away and saw that Sasuke was nowhere in sight "He vanished."

Sasuke blitzed behind him "You're not as fast as you think. From this point on, you'll be the one defending against my attacks." he thrusted a kunai forward.

Haku blocked it.

Sasuke threw a kunai with his good hand.

Haku dodged it.

Sasuke then took that opportunity to kick Haku in the face.

Zabuza froze ' _It's not possible, no one's faster than Haku.'_

Sasuke smirked "Thought you were quicker, huh? Now what else are you wrong about?"

"You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats, that's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude." Kakashi pointed out "He's one of the best young fighters of the Hidden Leaf. Sakura here is our sharpest mind, aside from being a fangirl. Tatsu Kamikaze is our most skill and most intelligent, with a good heart to back it up. And last but not least, our number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja is Naruto Uzumaki."

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Naruto sneezed "Eesh."

Tatsu sneezed too "I know."

"They say when you sneeze it's because someone's talking about you." Inari pointed out.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's when your ears are burning. Anyway, you were really brave kid. I'm impressed. Now then, Naruto, let's go." and he took off, with Naruto following "It's not easy being a hero, it's hard work."

"Believe it!"

"No! Never say that again!"

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Things on the bridge were heating up.

Zabuza smirked "Haku, if we keep going like this then we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it."

"Right." Haku began radiating chakra "I'm sorry it's come to this." the air turned cold as Haku formed a hand seal, and several slabs of ice formed around Sasuke " **Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors."** then he suddenly disappeared and reappeared inside the mirrors.

"They're mirrors. But how?"

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Zabuza stopped Kakashi from trying to assist Sasuke "If you enter this fight, you fight me. Your boy has no chance against that jutsu, he's finished."

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Haku appeared inside every single mirror "Now we'll begin, and I'll show you what speed really means." they began throwing senbon and cutting Sasuke from every angle.

"Dammit!" Sasuke found himself unable to dodge or even move.

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Sakura finally made a decision "I'm sorry but I can't stay with you, forgive me."

Tazuna nodded "I understand, go now."

"Right." Sakura grabbed a kunai and charged ' _Sasuke!_ Take this!" she threw a kunai into the dome of mirrors.

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Unfortunately Haku caught it "A futile attempt-"

" **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"**

" **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"**

Two sharp blasts of wind knocked Haku out of the mirror "Number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja and both the strongest and smartest of the youngest generation."

Then, in a cloud of smoke, Naruto and Tatsu appeared "Naruto Uzumaki and Tatsu Kamikaze are here, believe it!"

Tatsu smacked him on the back of the head "Stop saying believe it, believe it! Son of a bitch, now I'm doing it!"

"Whatever! Now that we're here, everything will be alright. You know how in stories the heroes usually show up at the last minute and kick ass? Well that's what we're here to do!"

Zabuza didn't look amused ' _This brat again.'_

Haku recognized Naruto ' _That boy.'_

"Naruto, go help Sasuke while I back Kakashi up." Tatsu blitzed over to Kakashi's side.

"Right! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!-"**

"And don't let your opponent see your jutsu you idiot, this is a battle not a talent show! The art of the shinobi is one of deception, always keep the enemy guessing. Even when executing a single jutsu, one must distract their opponent's attention, catch them off balance and outmaneuver them. You basically turned us into human targets when you entered a battle like that and dragged me with you!"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to rescue everybody!"

"Zabuza." said Haku "This boy, let me fight him my own way. Please."

"Bring it on!"

Zabuza let out a grunt "So you want me to leave this to you, is that it Haku? As usual, you're too soft."

Haku bowed his head "Forgive me."

' _Soft?'_ Sasuke finally noticed something ' _He's right. Look at these wounds, he cut me up with his needles and yet he didn't hit a single vital spot. Why? Is he just trying to humiliate me?'_

"I'm warning you!" Naruto pointed at Haku "One way or another, I'm going to rip off that mask and take you apart!"

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Zabuza stopped Kakashi from going to help Naruto "Don't even think about it, you know the score Kakashi. You go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder."

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask ' _I can't protect Tazuna and help Naruto and Sasuke at the same time, Sakura's feisty but she can't fight Zabuza alone. There's Tatsu, but I'm not sure Zabuza will let him pass either.'_

"Relax Kakashi, sit back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do, one on one."

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"That mask and your bogus story, you were with Zabuza all along!" Naruto realized "You think you can get away with a stunt like that?"

"I'm sorry." Haku bowed his head "But as your friend said, deceiving your opponent and catching them off guard, that is the art of the shinobi. Please don't take it personally."

Sasuke prepared to fire another Purple Thunder Blast ' _And while you're jabbering, I'll catch you off guard._ **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he fired the blast.

Haku dodged it "I haven't forgotten about you, not for an instant."

' _So that's where Sasuke is.'_ Naruto noticed ' _He's pinned down.'_

"Some warriors accept defeat gracefully, they know when they are beaten. Others do not. So be it then, let us finish our battle to the death."

"Hey, where're you going?"

"It's alright Naruto, we'll have our fight next." he merged back into the mirror.

' _What is he?'_

' _Here he comes.'_ Sasuke braced himself and noticed Haku in a mirror ' _The real one is over there. Now-'_

"I'm behind you." Haku appeared in the mirror behind Sasuke and prepared to attack with senbon."

Sasuke froze ' _He transported himself in an instant. How?'_

Haku appeared in every single mirror surrounded Sasuke, and all of them fired a barrage of senbon.

Sasuke found himself even more scratched up ' _What kind of jutsu is that? Could it be he has clones hiding in the mirrors all throwing needles at the same time? No, they're too fast for that. I can't even see where they're coming from, and if it was just a clone jutsu then he wouldn't need the ice mirrors. Those mirrors are definitely the key to his attacks, but what's my next move? Now Naruto and I need to attack from the outside and inside at the same time. Yes, it's all about positioning, and Naruto and I are in the perfect position. If I attack him from here and Naruto hits him from the outside, we can do it.'_

This was ruined when Naruto appeared in front of him "Hey, I snuck in here to save you!"

' _So much for that.'_

"You are a complete loser! You're a shinobi, think carefully before you move!"

"What the hell's your problem? You should thank me for coming in here to help you!"

"Naruto if we're both inside here- Forget it, I've had it with your screwups!"

"And I've had it with your attitude, believe it!"

"That's it, I'm gonna destroy these mirrors right now. **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he breathed out a fireball.

"That didn't do anything at all!"

"You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice." Haku pointed out, then the mirrors glowed white and both were sent flying.

"Damn! Where is he? Where's the needle attack coming from? Are they clones? We've gotta find the real one. Which one is it?"

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like, you will never learn the secret."

"Oh yeah? **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Naruto created a barrage of clones, ignoring Sasuke's yelling at him not to "You've got 100 mirrors, then 100 of me will smash them all and then I'll find out where you really are!"

Haku suddenly began blitzing from mirror to mirror throughout the dome, destroying any clone he could in the process, cutting Naruto up and sending him to the ground in the process "These mirrors only reflect my image, allowing me to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion."

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Tatsu froze "I knew it, that kid's got a Kekkei Genkai."

Zabuza chuckled "That's right kid, there's no way to destroy it and no way for those other brats to stop Haku."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that yet." Tatsu drew his katana "You don't give Naruto or Sasuke anywhere near enough credit, they're the 3rd and 4th best ninja of our generation."

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Naruto remained determined "I couldn't break through, so what? He's not gonna stop me. I'm not giving up and I'm not gonna lose here, I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me. Someday I'll be respected in my village. That's my dream, to be the greatest Hokage!"

Haku paused ' _Dreams?'_ he flashed back to the first time he met Zabuza "It was not my desire to be a shinobi. It's painful. I don't want to kill you, but if you advance then I will have no choice. Then I will kill the kindness in my own heart and fully embrace the shinobi way. And there will be no mercy, no turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide, now I must fight for my dream just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me, I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I face death for him so that his dream may become reality. That is my dream, and for the sake of that dream, if I must then I will act as a shinobi and take your lives."

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"Sasuke, Naruto, take this guy out, you can do it!" Sakura called.

"No Sakura, don't push them." Kakashi cut her off sharply "Even if they somehow found a way to overcome the mirror jutsu, they still couldn't defeat this ninja."

"How can you be so sure?"

"They have the desire to win, but they don't have the instinct to kill. That boy is a whole other breed, he lives for pain, he thrives on it."

Zabuza smirked beneath his bandages "Exactly, your village has become complacent. Your trainees never learn the most important lesson of all, to kill the feelings in their own heart, to crush an opponent mercilessly, to destroy with no emotion or regret."

Kakashi's mind was racing ' _I could make a break to save Naruto and Sasuke, but he'd kill the bridge builder. I can't use Shadow Clones or he'd just match them with Water Clones. I'd be wasting chakra. So I have no choice, it's me or Zabuza here and now. I'll have to do this the hard way.'_ he prepared to lift up his headband and use his Sharingan eye.

"Sharingan. You're no fun Kakashi, using the same old trick." Zabuza instantly charged with a kunai.

Kakashi stopped the kunai with his bare hand, causing it to bleed "If it's just an old trick, why did you just stop me?"

"Let your opponent see your jutsu too many times, and he'll find a way to use it against you."

"Then count yourself lucky, you're the only man alive who's seen my Sharingan twice. Show's over, there won't be a third time."

"Even if you did defeat me, you'd have no chance against Haku."

"You're unbelievable, using someone like that." Tatsu snarled "Don't you have any shame?"

"When I found him he was just a street kid, but I trained him in the most advanced ninja techniques. I taught him everything I know, plus he had special abilities that he refined on his own. The boy developed quickly, soon he could face the most powerful enemy outnumbered in total darkness. It didn't matter, he could strike with perfect accuracy. He cared nothing for his own life or the lives of others. He'd become a unique fighting machine, a shinobi. In the end, his power surpassed even mine. His bloodline trait, the Kekkei Genkai, cannot be defeated by anyone. I've created a tool that can destroy anything that stands in my way, unlike the useless punks who follow you around."

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Naruto still wasn't deterred "I didn't get to him, then I'll try again as many times as it takes. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned more clones.

"Naruto, don't!" Sasuke went ignored.

Haku blitzed through the clones, then hit Sasuke with a barrage of senbon.

"Dammit!"

Naruto fell back to the ground "How is he doing that?

' _It was barely there, but I saw it. I could see the trails and follow his movements.'_

"One more time! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Naruto tried the same tactic for the third time.

Seizing the chance, Sasuke kicked some water into the air.

"Don't you see that it's useless?" Haku blitzed through them again.

' _I can see his speed, but that doesn't mean I can match it. The water, it's being repelled. What if I try something else? Not water, but… yes, now it's my move.'_

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Zabuza scoffed "You think those genin punks together can beat Haku? He's the ultimate, a battle tool for destruction."

"Are you finished bragging? You're starting to put me to sleep. Let's finish this, now." that was when Kakashi pulled up his headband all the way, revealing his Sharingan."

"Fine, but there's one more thing you should know. A little more bragging, as you say. Did you really think our last battle was just win or lose? That I took your attacks like some rank genin? Haku was there hiding, watching every move you made, studying your Sharingan. Haku can see a jutsu once and immediately devise a lethal counterattack. It's one of his gift. I've been waiting to see the look on your face when you realize your Sharingan has become worthless. You once said the same jutsu won't work on me twice, well now I'm telling you that." he formed a hand seal " **Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."** the mist grew thicker, and he disappeared.

"This is it. Sakura, Tatsu, stay with Tazuna. Tatsu, you especially are needed for this."

Tatsu nodded "Understood."

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"I know you need me Zabuza, I'll finish them off quickly." Haku promised.

" **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Naruto summoned another 100 clones.

' _He just won't give up.'_ Haku prepared to strike down the clones, when…

" **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** Sasuke used the chance to launch a fireball.

' _What? Fireball jutsu?'_ Haku quickly retreated into a mirror, then emerged and blitzed through the clones ' _It shouldn't be taking this long to defeat them.'_

" **Fire Style: Hellfire Sphere!"** Sasuke launched a bigger, even more powerful fireball.

Haku dodged it mostly, but his leg was burnt.

' _Got it that time, I'm starting to get the timing.'_

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Kakashi noticed something off ' _The Hidden Mist Jutsu, but this mist is too thick even for Zabuza. How can he fight in it?'_ then he drew a kunai and quickly stopped an incoming barrage of shuriken.

"Very skillful." Zabuza's voice rang "As I'd expect from Kakashi, the Sharingan warrior." he appeared behind Kakashi, eyes shut.

' _His eyes are closed.'_

"The next time you see me will be the last time you see anything. Without your Sharingan, you're nothing." he disappeared "You wanted me to believe you could see through anything, even through time. You wanted me to believe that you saw into the future and that this was my last battle. But your prediction was wrong, I'm still alive. So you're a fraud Kakashi, you can't read the future and you can't read me. The Sharingan is just a cheap trick that makes you seem more powerful than you are. I know now your Sharingan has two separate elements, the piercing eye which sees every detail and the hypnotic eye which mesmerizes your opponent. Employing these abilities, you can execute multiple jutsu in quick succession to make it seem like you could see the future. First, with the piercing eye you copied my moves instantly. This replication of movement makes me doubt my own thoughts. Once I was shaken, you infiltrated my mind, waiting for the slightest flutter to anticipate my actions, seeking out any hints to my next move. You timed it precisely, waiting for the right movement. The instant my mind became unfocused, you created a new illusion. With your hypnotic eye, you induced me to make hand signs while you were making the same signs, so you seem to be copying me when actually you're controlling my movements. Now that I know this, a very simple plan can defeat you. First, neutralize your piercing eye with zero visibility mist."

Kakashi found himself blown away by an attack, but quickly recovered ' _The mist is slowing my reaction time.'_

"Next, neutralize your hypnotic eye by keeping my own eyes closed. You can't bore into my mind if you can't look into my eyes."

"Brilliant, except with your eyes closed you can't see me either."

"Have you forgotten who I am Kakashi? I'm the Demon of the Hidden Mist, master of the Silent Kill, I can take you out by sound alone."

Kakashi froze.

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Haku's mind was racing ' _He read my movements, but that's not possible._

"I was so close, but I couldn't quite get to him." Naruto noted.

"Naruto, how many times can you use your Crimson Wind?" asked Sasuke.

"About 4, why?"

"I'm at 3 with my Purple Thunder. Anyway, can you do your Shadow Clones again"

"Of course, nothing can stop me."

' _He doesn't wanna show it, but he's exhausted. The Shadow Clone Jutsu uses up so much chakra, but thanks to him I figured it out. I know how to break through.'_

' _The human eye cannot track my movements.'_ Haku thought ' _It must've been a coincidence.'_ the mirrors began glowing.

"Naruto, run for it! Get out of here and attack from the outside, hurry!"

"Alright, you got it." Naruto started running.

"You cannot escape." Haku sent him flying back with another attack.

Naruto got back up and kept running "You think you can keep me here? Forget it."

Haku emerged from the mirror and charged forward to attack.

"That's it! **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** Sasuke unleashed a fireball.

Haku quickly ducked under and threw a senbon at Sasuke, then blitzed over to Naruto and sent him flying back again before returning to the mirror.

"I couldn't get past him." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke removed the needle from his shoulder "That was good Naruto, one more time?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

' _There must be a limit to his chakra too, I can feel him slowing down.'_

' _No more games, I need to stop this now._ This time you'll stay down." Haku fired a needle, hitting Sasuke in the leg, before hitting him with several more needles.

"Sasuke!" then Naruto got hit too.

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Kakashi's mind was racing ' _An enemy you can't see and can't hear, it's been a long time since I've faced anyone this tough. And Sasuke and Naruto, I don't know if they can hold out. I could sent Tatsu over, but Sakura can't defend the bridge builder on her own. Stay calm, think, where will he strike?'_ he froze "The bridge builder!"

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Zabuza charged and drew his blade as he saw Sakura in a ready position "Too late!" he brought down his Executioner's Blade.

Blood spewed into the air, and Sakura let out a blood-curdling scream.

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Sasuke froze ' _That scream, that was Sakura. What's happening to her? Where're Tatsu and Kakashi?'_

Naruto let out a groan on the floor of the bridge "Sakura, she's in trouble."

' _We've got to break through.'_

Despite being full of needles, Naruto stood once more "I'll bust us out of here."

' _Naruto…'_

"I'll fake him out."

"You've exhausted my patience." Haku sounded rather aggravated.

Naruto built up chakra and charged in different directions, with Haku following him by running through the mirrors.

"Naruto, behind you!" Sasuke called.

Haku hit Naruto square in the chest with a barrage of senbon "Your chance of escaping my House of Mirrors is zero, that is absolute."

"Naruto, are you able to get up?"

Naruto just groaned.

"Try not to use any more chakra, that's only going to help him now."

Naruto sat up "I know Sasuke, I know." then he collapsed again.

' _We can't go on like this, he's blocking every move we make. I've got to find a way to outmaneuver him. My eyes have adjusted to his movements.'_

"Looking for a counterattack?" Haku appeared in the mirror in front of them "I'll save you the trouble." he blitzed over to the next mirror and fired more senbon.

Sasuke picked up one and blocked the rest "Get up Naruto, we've gotta team up for this."

' _I'm aiming at his vital spots now, but I can't get a direct hit.'_

Naruto groaned and sat up "I know what we have to do Sasuke."

Haku tried firing more senbon, with the same result ' _It's not just luck, he's fighting to protect his friend. That's why he's so determined, but he can't possibly see the needles coming.'_ he fired more needles.

Sasuke pushed Naruto out of the way and dodged them himself, then winced from the pain of the needles already in his body.

' _My movements are beyond human speed, and yet he's tracking them somehow. Whatever he's doing, I've got to stop him now.'_ he disappeared.

' _Where'd he go? How could he just vanish?_ Naruto you'd better not pass out again. Now let's go, I can't keep protecting you like this."

"Then don't." Naruto muttered weakly "I never asked for your help." then he collapsed again.

"You can't revive him, he's reached his limits." Haku pointed out.

"Dammit!" Sasuke threw a senbon, but only hit ice.

"Impressive, you have excellent moves." Haku appeared in a mirror behind him "Your attacks are very skillful." he fired more senbon.

Sasuke dodged.

"But you've reached your limits as well." Haku blitzed from mirror to mirror "Motor functions, reflexes, judgement, your abilities are weakening slowly but surely. Now you're finished."

' _Here he comes. Stay calm. Focus. Concentrate, see everything.'_

Haku unleashed more senbon.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto and bolted out of the way at the last possible second.

' _He saw every move, but there's no way he could do that.'_

Sasuke looked up, his eyes now red with 2 tomoe in the right and 1 in the left.

' _Those eyes… the Sharingan. You're…'_

' _It's not complete, but I could see through his deceptions.'_

' _So he too has a Kekkei Genkai, the power of a unique bloodline trait passed down within a clan. Interesting, even though it's not perfected. To uncover this power in the midst of a lethal attack is an amazing feat, and because of that I won't be able to fight much longer. My jutsu uses a tremendous amount of chakra, and his swift movements also take energy. There's no doubt that the longer we fight, the more he will use the Sharingan to perceive my moves. Even now, his eyes are tracking me. I can't target him directly, he'll just block a frontal attack, so I'll have to throw him off-guard by attacking his partner. Then I'll destroy him.'_ he emerged and charged in Naruto's direction.

' _I've got to stop him!'_ Sasuke blitzed forward.

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Kakashi froze at what he saw "Tatsu…" he had been planning to blitz over and stop Zabuza from harming Tazuna, but apparently Tatsu had beaten him to it.

Tatsu had seen better days. He'd stopped Zabuza's blade from bisecting him diagonally, but he'd received a deep gash down his shoulder to his left breast, both the wound and his hands bleeding heavily from stopping the blade with his bare hands, seeing how he'd had to force as much chakra into them as he could "What's the matter… Kakashi… never seen… a man get… cut before…?"

"You were late Kakashi." Zabuza pointed out "You let your concern for those little punks' safety cloud your mind, adding further to the fog that already hinders your Sharingan. Your eyes are sharp Kakashi, but not sharp enough to read my moves, not anymore. Come on Kakashi, I want this to be fun. I want to enjoy myself as I exact my revenge. As for those brats, don't worry. They're at Haku's mercy, no they're breathing their last breaths right now." he braced his Executioner's blade "Relax, you'll have plenty of time to weep out an apology for failing those brats when you see them in the next life." then he disappeared into the mist.

"Kakashi…" a shaky and injured Tatsu stepped forward, using one hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding, the other holding his katana "I'm the one… who'll take him down… you stay back… and guard… the old man… and as for… Naruto and Sasuke… I have faith… in their abilities… I have… faith… in them… Naruto Uzumaki… the number one… hyperactive… knucklehead… ninja… and Sasuke Uchiha… heir to one of… the most powerful clans… in the Hidden Leaf…"

Zabuza froze where he was "Kid, you mean…?"

"Yeah… he's the last Uchiha… in the Hidden Leaf… the unique powers… of the Uchiha bloodline… run through his veins… his Kekkei Genkai… the Sharingan… is his birthright…"

"I heard that one young ninja survived the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan. No wonder he advances so quick. But so does Haku, no one match him. No one has ever stopped his secret jutsu, even the most skilled jonin fall before him. Just as you, and then Kakashi, will fall before me, right now!"

"Sakura… Kakashi… stay with… the old man…" with his katana drawn, Tatsu slowly inched his way into the mist ' _He's right, it's time to end this. However, he's the one who'll fall.'_ he didn't notice as his pupils flickered from deep brown to light blue with golden irades in the center, then back to deep brown.

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Naruto finally came to "Wha-?"

"You always get in the way Naruto, it never fails."

His vision cleared and he sw Haku on the ground in front of him "You beat him Sasuke!" then he froze at what he saw next.

Sasuke stood in front of him, full of needles, having shielded Naruto from Haku's attack "You should see the look on your face, you-you look like a total loser."

"Why-Why did you save me? Why did you do it?"

"I don't know why, I just did… you… I hated you at first… but over time… even if I never said it… you and Tatsu… you're both my closest friends…" he fell back.

Naruto caught him as he collapsed "Sasuke!"

"He's still out there… my brother… I promised myself.. I'd stay alive… until I killed him… but now… it's up to Tatsu… to avenge my clan… and his brother… and Naruto… no matter what… never let… your dream die…" and with that, Sasuke fell still.

Naruto gently embraced Sasuke, tears streaming down his face ' _Sasuke…'_

Haku stared at the scene ' _At the very last moment, he found the strength he didn't realize he had. Why? Because of a certain person who was precious to him. To save that person, he rushed in knowing it was a trap._ He was a true ninja, worthy of honor. Is this the first time you've seen a friend die in battle. Is this the first time you've seen a friend die in battle? This is part of what it means to be a ninja." he merged back into the mirror.

"Shut up… I… I hate you to Sasuke… but at the same time… you were one of my closest friends too…" steam began circulating around him "You'll pay for this." the steam was replaced by deep crimson chakra, his whisker marks thickening and his eyes turning a menacing blood red with slits "I'm gonna kill you!"

' _What is this chakra? Chakra cannot be seen, yet it's clearly visible. It's something ghastly. I can feel the wrath, the bloodlust, like evil itself.'_

With the silhouette of a fox above him, the raw power of Naruto's new chakra popped the needles out of him, the power healing his wounds in the process.

' _His hand is healing and changing. This boy, what is he?'_

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Tatsu and the others noticed the chakra ' _This power… Zabuza isn't creating it… Naruto… that must be the power of the Kyuubi… this is bad…'_

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With a rage filled snarl, Naruto charged.

' _The bloodlust in his eyes.'_ Haku noticed ' _This is no longer a child.'_

Naruto let out a furious roar, the sheer force blowing Haku's senbon away.

' _His chakra grows every second. I must strike now.'_ he fired from every mirror at once, piercing Naruto all over his body.

Naruto just blew them off and shattered one of the mirrors with one punch.

' _Now!'_ Haku dove down from one of the mirrors on top.

Naruto dodged, his KI (Killer Intent) becoming more and more clear.

' _Impossible.'_ Haku attempted to retreat into a mirror, only for Naruto to grab him by the arm, preventing his escape ' _Those eyes…'_

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Tatsu looked back "Kakashi."

"I know." Kakashi spoke up.

"It hasn't been broken, it's just been loosened."

"And a glimmer of that chakra has slipped through, but _it_ still holds. So we've still got a chance. Tatsu, you wanted to finish this, well now's your chance."

"Right, and Kakashi, thank you. _Naruto… Sasuke… Hayate-sensei… Ino… all of you… you've all helped push me to this point… your guidance and faith in me… has led me to the path I now walk… you all believed in me… I can't… no… I_ _ **won't**_ _let you down!'_ he let out a furious primal roar and was engulfed in a white light. When it subsided, his eyes had changed from deep brown to light blue with golden irades, a blue-ish cloak of chakra engulfing his body. Then he turned his attention back to Zabuza "Hey Zabuza, I don't mean to spoil your fun, I know how you like to stretch these things out, but what do you say we just put an end to this? Come on, what do you say? We're both busy people."

Zabuza grunted from within the mist "Tempting. I'm curious how you intend to back up such brave words. Show me, Kamikaze! Show me you're worthy of wielding the Tenseigan!"

' _I've gotta end this fast. The downside of my Tenseigan Chakra Cloak is that it even with all this power, it enhances the user's darkest emotions, effectively corrupting them unless they're the purest of heart like my brother. Even so, I can't stay like this for long or it could kill me.'_

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Haku found himself unable to break free as Naruto's Kyuubi-chakra shattered the mirrors surrounding them ' _I can't, his energy is too strong.'_

With a rage and malice-filled snarl, Naruto punched Haku clean in the face, sending him tumbling outside of the dome, shattering both Haku's mask and the remaining mirrors. Still filled with rage, Naruto charged once more.

Haku slowly took off the shattered remains of his mask ' _Zabuza, I am no match for this boy. Master… I have failed.'_

Naruto was about to shatter Haku's skull, but stopped when he saw his face "So that guy in the woods, that was you?"

"Why do you not strike? Did you not just vow to avenge your comrade's death by killing me? Or was that just empty words?"

Naruto finally let loose and slugged Haku in the face, sending him to the ground.

Haku coughed up blood and got back up "No, that won't do. You're still holding back, if that is all the strength you can put into it then you will never keep your vow. Perhaps he didn't mean to you as much as you pretend. To show mercy to those who oppose the one you serve, to allow his enemies to live when you could strike them down. This is not compassion, it is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You're of use to no one. Your life has no meaning. It is mere existence. Day after day of pain and struggle, signifying nothing."

"Yeah well speak for yourself!"

"Are you really that blind little one? I _am_ speaking of myself. This day has shown that I am no longer of any use to Zabuza."

"Zabuza. Why that guy anyway? To devote your life to a rotten bastard who doesn't know the meaning of the word honor. If he's really the one person that matters to you, man that's the sorriest thing I've ever heard."

"There were once others who mattered to me long ago. My father and my mother. I was born in the Land of Water in a small village where the snow lies deep in the winter. My parents were farmers and very poor, our life was hard but we were content. My parents were good to each other and kind to me. Yes, we were happy once. But then everything changed. Because of something that happened long before I was even born, everything changed."

"What do you mean? What was it? What happened?"

"It wasn't my doing. It is in the blood."

"Blood? So what was it? You said something happened that changed everything."

"It was my father who changed. He killed my mother, and he almost killed me."

Naruto froze.

"After years of suffering the horrors of civil war, the people of my land had come to fear and hate anyone who carried the Kekkei Genkai in their blood."

"Kekkei Genkai?"

"The advanced bloodline trait of a clan. It's jutsu and abilities passed down from generation to generation. Because of their unique abilities, the clans were used as mercenaries. They fought in many battles and were much feared. But when the wars were over, they were despised and shunned by the people who feared their presence would only bring more war and misfortune. So it was that after the wars, these clans went into hiding, denying the bloodline trait that flowed in their veins, concealing their unique abilities, knowing that to be discovered meant certain death. If you had searched that boy's memories, I'm sure you would've found it there too. The cruelty of people, their fear of things they don't understand. For years, my mother was successful in hiding her bloodline trait. She met and fell in love with a simple farmer, and they were married. And after that, my mother thought she would lead a peaceful ordinary life to the end of her days. I discovered that I had inherited my mother's Kekkei Genkai. My father had seen, so he knew our secret, my mother's and mine. I was forced to kill him and the others to save my own life. When at last I was myself again, I was no longer myself. My father and mother were gone, but I knew that something else had been taken from me, something even more important. And that is when I truly despaired."

"More important than your mother and father? What?"

"My purpose. In all the world, there was no one who needed me. I was unnecessary."

' _Just like me.'_

"Why is it you're so determined to be Hokage? Because you want all eyes in your village to look on you and recognize you as a great ninja. You see, it is only through the eyes of others that our little lives have any significance. When there is no one who sees you or will even look at you, it's as if you do not exist. Then Zabuza came along and looked at me, and his eyes were not full of hate or fear. He did not shun me for my strangeness. Indeed, my special powers were just what he wanted. He made me necessary again. I was happy. I failed you Zabuza, I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use." he stepped forward "Naruto. Kill me."

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Still in his chakra cloak with his Tenseigan active, Tatsu formed a hand seal " **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed 5 clones "Restrain him!"

Zabuza remained unfazed "I don't know why you bother kid, of what use are your clones if you can't even find me? But I can find you. Blindly falling into my trap, you disappoint me boy. I think you're right, it _is_ time to put an end to this."

"And we'll be the ones to do it!" the clones all suddenly appeared and grabbed Zabuza by the arms and legs, while the last one put him in a full-nelson.

"What?!"

The real Tatsu smirked "I realized that if I couldn't see you, I'd have to sense out your chakra. You may know about my clan's eyes Zabuza, but you've clearly forgotten that we're some of the best sensory types this world has seen in decades. Surprised? Looks like I wasn't the only one who was blind. Falling into the trap of an elite genin, not gonna lie Zabuza that's pretty disappointing." then he noticed something "Good, the mist is finally clearing, and you know what these eyes see? Your death."

"Talk talk, do you mean to talk me to death?"

"In a way, yes. Right now, my Shadow Clones are just f*cking with you. One word from me, they'll unleash my Skybound Wind jutsu and Purple Thunder jutsu and fry and slice you from every angle. Poor Zabuza, see where your ambitions got you? You were always pushing things too far. There was the failed assassination of the 4th Mizukage and your attempted coup d'etat. You were forced to flee with the few followers you had, your country's tracker ninja hot on your heels. You became a rogue ninja whose name was quickly known even in the Hidden Leaf. Now you're crazy enough to want to go back and try it again, but for that you need money, and to get it you stooped so low as to be the hired thug of a swine like Gato. Alright Zabuza, enough talk. Time to finish it, and it'll be with my brother's legacy. One of the jutsu he created before his untimely demise." he formed a hand seal, purple lightning surrounding his fingertips "I taught this to Sasuke during the week between our last fight and this one, but there's one thing I didn't tell him. While this attack can be fired at long range, that's also its weakness. The longer the range it's fired, the weaker the attack gets. It's at its strongest when it's still in my hand, being supported by the power of my chakra cloak."

' _The chakra's so strong it's visible, he holds it in his hand!'_

"I won't allow you to kill Tazuna, he's a brave man with a noble dream. The bridge he's building is the hope of this land and all its people. You're like a disease, by attacking one you infect all and you don't care. That's not the way of the shinobi."

"You're right, I _don't_ care! These useless little people and their petty little dreams, why should they matter to me? I have a dream of my own."

"But to have a dream, you need to have a future, which you don't. Your future doesn't exist."

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"Go on, strike, kill me." Haku urged "Why do you hesitate?"

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!" Naruto barked "I mean, he treats you like a slave. You're a human being, not a weapon or a tool. How can you care about someone like that?"

"For that very reason. Does that seem so strange to you?"

"Well yeah, a little."

"When he found me, I was without a purpose or reason for living. Zabuza gave me both. But now, my usefulness is over. The only thing that gave my life meaning, it's gone. I am a broken tool, a blunted weapon of no use to anyone. Go on Naruto, do it, for both of our sakes. Do it, quickly."

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Inari had been trying to rally the villagers support for the bridge, with disappointing results.

Disappointed but not deterred, he set out alone but found a crowd waiting for him.

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The battle on the bridge was nearing it's conclusion.

"This is it Zabuza! **Purple Thunder Fist!"** Tatsu charged, his Tenseigan Chakra Cloak fading as the lightning increased.

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"Go on, kill me." Haku urged once more "Why do you hesitate? I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior."

"That's not what it's about!" Naruto barked "Do you really believe that's all there is to it, just fighting and killing until there's only one man left standing? There's a lot more to being shinobi than that, and there are other ways of showing your strength than just by beating someone in battle."

"I've had a feeling all along, from the first moment we met in the woods. We are a lot alike. I'm sure you know what I mean, I'm only sorry that it must be your hand that is tainted with my unworthy blood."

"Sure about this? And you're positive that it's the only way?"

"Yes."

"The weird thing is, if we met in another time and place, I think that maybe we could've been friends." then he suddenly drew a kunai and charged.

' _Yes, that's right. Hold fast to your dreams.'_

"This is for Sasuke, because he also had a dream!"

' _Thank you Naruto, strike true.'_

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"At last, I think this blasted fog is lifting." Tazuna noted.

"Look, they're standing still like they're squaring off." Sakura noticed.

"Really? I can't see a thing."

"Which one of them's Tatsu? One's moving."

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Haku suddenly realized something and stopped Naruto's kunai at the last second "Sorry Naruto, change of plan." he formed several one-handed signs "I'm not ready to die quite yet." and he suddenly vanished.

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" **Purple Thunder Fist!"** with his chakra cloak disappearing and the lightning in his hand getting stronger, Tatsu thrusted the attack forward.

Blood spewed as the attack hit, and Zabuza's eyes shot wide.

Tatus froze at what happened, his Shadow Clones disappearing.

Haku had appeared with his Crystal Ice Mirror and taken the hit for Zabuza at the last possible second, and when the attack subsided, he grabbed Tatsu's hand "Zabuza…"

Tatsu suddenly coughed up blood.

Zabuza smirked "So my future's all used up huh? Wrong again kid."

Then Naruto came over as the fog lifted and saw the scene "Tatsu, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Isn't that the young man in the mask?" Tazuna muttered.

"Haku…" Tatsu coughed up blood "He threw himself… in front of… my attack… He saved your worthless life… at the cost of his own…"

Zabuza let out a chuckle "Well done Haku." he drew his Executioner's Blade.

' _He'd hack right through Haku to take me down.'_

"I knew I'd found a treasure when I'd found you boy. You've not only give me my life, but this boy's as well!" he prepared to swing his Executioner's Blade.

Tatsu leapt away, blood still pouring from his wound.

"Not bad for having a corpse in your arms."

"You'll pay for that!" Naruto snarled.

"No." Tatsu cut him off sharply "Stay out of this… Naruto…" he lad Haku on the ground and closed his eyes for him "This is… my battle… Zabuza's mine…:

"Hey Naruto, over here!" Sakura called.

Naruto froze ' _Sakura… well, f*ck.'_

"So you and Sasuke are alright?"

"Um…" Naruto looked away.

"What's wrong? Where is Sasuke anyway?"

Naruto said nothing.

Sakura froze "No…"

Tatsu hung his head ' _I'm sorry Naruto, Sasuke… I failed you two…'_

"Hey kid, I'd stay focused if I were you!" Zabuza charged forward.

"Sakura, let me take you to him." Tazuna offered "As long as we stay together, you won't be disobeying your sensei's orders."

Kakashi hung his head ' _Obito, Rin, sensei, I've failed another one…'_

Naruto shed a single tear "Sasuke…"

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Upon seeing Sasuke's body, Sakura broke down crying over it.

Tazuna hung his head ' _To put such an unbearable burden on a young girl's shoulders, if that's the shinobi way then you can have it.'_

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Following another clash, Zabuza fell to one knee ' _Why… Why can't I keep up with him?'_ still refusing to give up, he charged once more.

"No." Tatsu merely punched him aside, disabling one arm.

"I'll split you in half!" he swung the blade wildly.

Tatsu appeared behind him, and Zabuza could only see one thing in his eyes; rage "Look at you, you're falling apart. I knew you didn't have what it takes for the long haul."

"What did you say?"

"You have no idea what real strength is, and you never will." he braced his sword "Game over, you lose." he prepared to slash with it, stabbing him in the shoulder.

Zabuza stabbed him in the exact same moment, damaging Tatsu's right arm and throwing away his Executioner's Blade in the process.

"Now both of your arms are useless. What now? You can't even make hand signs."

"Well well, so this is how it turns out huh?" a new voice cut in "Did quite a job on you didn't he Zabuza? You look like yesterday's sashimi. I must say I'm disappointed."

Zabuza looked to see Gato show up with an army of thugs "Gato? I don't understand, what is all this? Why are you here, and who are these thugs you brought with you?"

"Well you see, there's been a slight change in plan. According to the new plan. You die right here on this bridge Zabuza."

"What?"

"That's right, you're too expensive so I've decided to take you off the payroll. Of course, even these thugs I brought with me cost something so if you could manage to slaughter a few of them before they take you down I'd appreciate it. Do you think you can manage that, Demon Ninja of the Mist? Look at you, you look as demonic as a wet kitten."

"Well well kid, Kakashi, it would seem our fight is at an end. Since I'm no longer Gato's employee, Tazuna's safe. We have no quarrel."

Tatsu nodded "Yeah that sounds about right, the name's Tatsu by the way."

Gato stepped up to Haku's corpse "That reminds me, you grabbed me and nearly broke my arm. I've been meaning to repay you for that." he brutally kicked the body "I only wish he was alive to feel it."

"GET AWAY!" Naruto roared "Get away from him you scum!"

"Stop… Naruto…" Tatsu grabbed Naruto with his one good arm "Use your head… you idiot…"

"Well what about you Zabuza, you gonna let him do that?!"

Zabuza remained unfazed "Be quiet you fool. Haku's dead, what does it matter?"

"What?! You mean you could just stand there and watch him get treated like a dog? You and Haku were together for years, doesn't that mean anything?"

"You don't understand the way of shinobi, I merely used him as Gato used me. Now it's over, his usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill yes, that means something to me. But the boy- nothing."

"If you mean that, you're an even bigger rat than I thought."

"Okay, that's enough." Kakashi came over" Calm down Naruto, he's not the enemy, not right now."

"Shut up! As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy #1! You ungrateful son of a bitch, after everything he did for you! Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him, and he meant nothing to you?! Nothing at all? While he was sacrificing himself for you, you never felt anything at all for him? And if I become stronger, does that mean I'll become as cold-hearted as you are? He threw his life away, and for what? For you and your dream! You never let him have a dream of his own, but he didn't care, and you just tossed him aside like he was nothing. A broken tool, man that's so wrong. So wrong!"

"You talk too much." tears began streaming down Zabuza's face "Your words cut deep, deeper than any blade. While he fought you, his heart was breaking in two. You see, Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow, and now, curse him I feel them too. And something else, I feel content that this is the way it ends." he roughly shook the bandages from his face "Well, cat got your tongue? Are you so surprised to discover that I'm human? Even shinobi are human, no matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact we always fail. Well, at least _I_ have failed. Boy- Tatsu. Give me your sword."

"Alright… here…" Tatsu tossed over his katana.

Gripping the handle with his teeth, Zabuza charged.

"That's enough of this!" Gato retreated back "Do it, take him down now!"

With merely Tatsu's sword in his mouth, Zabuza charged, killing several thugs with just the sword, despite taking several weapons to his back.

Gato froze when he saw Zabuza charge at him "He-He's th-the devil!"

Zabuza stabbed Gato using the sword in his mouth, only to be stabbed by several of the remaining thugs.

"You crazy fool, if you're so eager to join your friend then go ahead. But you're not taking me, not this time."

"No… I won't be joining Haku… Where he's gone, cannot follow… _We_ wouldn't be welcome where Haku's gone to, Hell is where we're going Gato. I can't think of a more fitting destination for a demon ninja can you? I'm told there are many demons down there of all shapes and sizes. Oh yes, I should fit right in. You on the other hand Gato, well I fear you're in for a long and very painful eternity!" and with that, he slashed Gato and kicked him off the bridge, sending him to his watery grave in the sea below, the sword still embedded in his body. He then shot a glare at the thugs, causing them to clear out of his way as he waltzed forward "Haku… _so this is goodbye at last… not once did I ever thank you Haku, forgive me for that.'_ then he collapsed.

"I can't…" Naruto turned away.

"Don't turn away." Kakashi told him "When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends."

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' _Where am I? Am I alive? Or- Sakura?'_ he opened his eyes ' _Can it be? It is.'_ he found Sakura sobbing onto his chest "Sakura… it's hard to breathe with you on top of me- oh shit you didn't rape me did you?"

Sakura froze "Sasuke… Tazuna, he's alive!" she wrapped her arms around.

"Seriously, you didn't rape me did you?" Sasuke slowly tried to sit up.

"No, what're you doing? You shouldn't move?"

"How're Naruto and the others, and what happened to the guy in the mask?"

"The others are just fine, but the one in the mask is dead."

"Dead?! But how? Did Naruto do it?

"I came in late, I'm not sure what happened? He was protecting Zabuza, and Tatsu struck him down. I had faith in you Sasuke, I knew you'd pull through. You're too cool a guy to stay down for long."

"No… from the very beginning, he never came at me with the intent to kill."

Then Sakura called over to the others "Naruto! Tatsu! Kakashi-sensei! Over here, it's Sasuke! He's alright!"

Sasuke waved a hand "Yeah yeah, miracles happen, get over it."

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask "Well well, will wonders never cease. Amazing."

"So he's alive…" Tatsu managed a weak smile "I'm glad…" then he collapsed.

Kakashi caught him "I've got you, great job out there…"

"Thanks… Kakashi…" then he passed out.

"Hey!" the thugs got their attention "Don't go getting too comfortable, this party ain't over yet. Who's gonna pay us now that Gato's gone? No way we're gonna leave empty-handed, so we'll just have to hit that village and see what they've got for us."

"Not good…"

Naruto turned to Kakashi "You must have a jutsu that could take care of this bunch of losers."

"Not right now, I used too much of my chakra."

"Get em boys!" and the men charged.

That is before and arrow shot down between the two groups, courtesy of Inari and the other villagers "There's one little thing you're forgetting about, before you set one foot in our village you'll have to go through all of us."

Tazuna shed a tear "They've all come, the whole village."

' _No way I'm gonna miss out on all the fun._ **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Naruto summoned 4 Shadow Clones.

"I think I have just enough chakra left to help you out." Kakashi formed a hand sign " **Shadow Clone Jutsu: Kakashi style!"** he summoned several dozen clones "Okay, still wanna fight?"

"No thanks!" and they all ran off, retreating onto a boat.

"Victory!" and everyone cheered.

Kakashi made his way over to where Zabuza lay "Zabuza…"

"Sounds like it's over…" Zabuza's voice was soft and hoarse.

"Yeah…"

"Those kids… they'll be something great someday…"

"I know."

"Kakashi… I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Take me to him, before I go I need to see him one last time."

Kakashi quickly covered his Sharingan using his headband "Sure thing." he slowly pulled out the weapons and carried Zabuza over to Haku's corpse as snow began to fall.

Only Zabuza knew what it meant ' _Is it you Haku? Are you weeping?'_

Kakashi gently laid Zabuza down by Haku's body "There, now you can see him before you pass on."

"Thank you, Kakashi… truly…" Zabuza reached out and touched Haku's face "You were always at my side, the least I can do is to be beside you at the end. I know it cannot be… but I wish I could go to where you have gone… how I wish I could join you there… Haku…" and with that, he fell still.

Naruto had tears streaming down his face "He told me that where he came from, it was always snowing, all the time."

Kakashi sighed "Of course, his spirit was as pure as the snow itself. You never know Zabuza, maybe you will join him there. Is there really any way to tell?"

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Sunset came.

Tatsu had been treated for his wounds, but he was still unconscious, and the battle would leave a scar on his chest.

Graves had been dug for Haku and Zabuza, with the Executioner's Blade being placed as a mark on Zabuza's grave.

Naruto finally spoke up "Is that really it Kakashi-sensei?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kakashi, carrying an unconscious Tatsu on his back.

"Is that the ninja way? To use and be used by people like tools?"

"Shinobi are all merely tools in the hands of destiny, no point in wondering whether it's right or wrong. It just is. It's the same in the Hidden Leaf."

Naruto didn't take very kindly to it "Well if you ask me if that's what being a ninja is all about, something's out of whack. Is that why we go through all this training? Just to end up like them?"

"What is the reason for that?" Sasuke questioned.

Kakashi sighed "Well, it's a question without an answer, and that is something we ninja have to deal with every day of our lives, like Zabuza and the kid."

That was when Naruto made a decision "Okay, I've just come to a decision. From now on, I'm finding my own ninja way. A way that's straight and true without any regrets. From now on, I'm following the way of Naruto!"

Sasuke sighed "That's incredibly cheesy."

"Hey it's what I picked, deal with it!"

Kakashi looked on with a small smile underneath his mask, then he glanced at where Tatsu was lying against his back ' _Can you sense it? You're the one who's always before his eyes, inspiring him and pushing him to keep going even further than anyone thought possible. It's you who makes him strong, you who pushes him to be a better person, a better shinobi. You know that, don't you Kazuma? Well he might not be as young as you were, but I think it's safe to say he's ready for that jutsu. I'll teach it to him once we get back to the village and he's had some time to recover.'_

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Next morning, the group was getting ready to leave.

"We could never have finished the bridge without you." Tazuna told them "I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you."

"Do be careful." Tsunami warned.

Kakashi gave an eye smile, still carrying a wounded Tatsu, the only difference being that now he was conscious "Thank you for everything."

Naruto grinned "Now don't get all choked up, we'll come back and visit real soon." and with that, they set off.

"It was all his doing." Tazuna spoke up, referring to Naruto "That boy and his spirit was what made you stronger Inari, and you in turn made the rest of us stronger."

Inari grinned "Not just him, all of them. It was thanks to all of them we were able to build a bridge to a place we've never known, a place where we found our courage, a place to fulfill our dreams."

"Say, speaking of the bridge, now that it's finished, shouldn't we name it?" one man spoke up.

Tazuna nodded "Yes of course, and I know just the name."

"You do? What?"

"We'll call it the Great 7 Bridge, named after the team that gave us hope again."

 **A/N:**

 **I made Tatsu get that scar on the bridge against Zabuza to prove a point. Tatsu is strong yes, but he's not invincible. He's not Saitama and I have no intention of making him so. While making someone powerful enough to be pretty much indestructible and able to destroy any opponent with one blow does prove to be entertaining at times, stories like that lack a proper amount of substance.**

 **Yes, Tatsu has the Tenseigan, the same eyes used by Toneri Otsutsuki in The Last movie. That Kekkei Genkai has too much potential to be wasted on one movie, so I gave it to the Kamikaze clan as a clan based ability. In addition, gaining access to the Tenseigan also gives the user access to the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, but I added in the concept of the power corrupting the user so that Tatsu wouldn't end up being too ridiculously overpowered. I intend to solve that later on when I cover Shippuden in this fic, before the Fourth Great Ninja War breaks out.**

 **Next chapter will be somewhat filler, having Tatsu learning a certain A-rank jutsu while the others fulfill the plot of a certain filler episode revolving around a certain jonin.**


	4. Of New Jutsu and Masks, Of Sand & Sound

About a week had passed since the mission to the Land of Waves, and things had died down in certain areas, but not in others:

Tatsu had been recovering from his injuries he'd received during the battle, and had received a bounty for defeating Zabuza.

Naruto was working on mastering the Crimson Wind without using the Kyuubi's chakra, which wasn't easy considering how taxing it was.

Sasuke was working on his Sharingan with Kakashi as well as improving on his use of the Purple Thunder jutsu.

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Naruto met Sasuke and Sakura by the river "Hey guys."

"Naruto." Sasuke gave stoic nod.

Sakura sighed and looked away with a scowl ' _They've been so tight ever since we got back from the Land of Waves, and I feel like some kind of outsider. It's all Naruto and Tatsu's fault, it's like they're trying to steal Sasuke away from me!_

Kakashi finally showed up after 3 hours "Hey guys, good morning. Sorry I'm late, afraid I got lost on the path of life." he ignored the yells "Alright, I'll leave you guys to hone your skills for today. I've got something to take care of." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"So what's he doing?"

Sasuke sighed "Don't you listen? He said he was gonna go teach Tatsu some new jutsu when we got back, something about the fight with Zabuza being an eye-opener to his potential or something."

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Kakashi met Tatsu at the 3rd Training Ground with a bucket of water balloons "Alright Tatsu, time to get to work on this new jutsu. Minato sensei always said that the Rasengan should be passed down to someone he thought deserved it, and I think you've already more than proven yourself. This is what you need for the first step of learning the jutsu." he promptly tossed one of the water balloons to him.

"What's this for?" asked Tatsu.

"This is the first step to this jutsu. Take this for example." he held a balloon in his hand, and it suddenly popped "With the tree climbing exercise, you learned to gather and maintain chakra. With water walking, you learned to release a steady amount. Both of these you've long since mastered. With this water balloon, you'll create a stream of chakra, rotating it. First, gather the chakra in your hand with the tree climbing technique, and then release a steady stream of it using the water walking technique, and finally use the chakra to push and churn the water inside the balloon."

"So you're saying to spin the water inside the balloon until it pops?"

"Exactly. Oh, and by the way, what way do you comb your hair?"

"To the right, why?"

"Then rotate the chakra to the right."

"...Okay." and so he did, but only got it to leak "Dammit."

"That's good for your first try, but keep in mind that the 4th Hokage took 3 years to create this jutsu."

"And my brother learned it in less than a month. But then again that works for me, I've got less than a month until the Chunin Exams are underway."

"You've definitely got Kazuma's fire in your eyes. And don't get frustrated, just keep trying until you get it. I've got something to take care of. Later." and he disappeared.

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Naruto gave Sasuke and Sakura a creepy look "Hey, you guys wanna see it don't ya? I say it's time."

"For what?" asked Sasuke.

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about." he grabbed a flashlight out of nowhere, looking even more creepy "Kakashi-sensei's true face!"

Sakura got freaked out and hit him "What's the matter with you?"

Sasuke didn't look amused "Well that's boring, count me out. We finished today's mission, I'm out of here."

"Yeah, you're totally right. _Of course he's right, he's Sasuke.'_

Naruto wasn't having that and grinned "What if he has lips?"

Sasuke froze.

"Like a blimp."

Sasuke was shaking.

' _Just one more little push._ Or maybe buck teeth."

And that was the end of the struggle.

' _Hook, line and sinker.'_

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Hours passed, and Tatsu was on his 4th water balloon and still only getting a leak "Dammit!"

"Hi Tatsu."

He looked to see Ino standing before him "Oh hey Ino, what's up?"

Ino gave a bright smile "I heard you were back from your C-rank mission but you never came to say hi, what's up?"

"Well I was in the hospital, I got into a really nasty fight with one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza to be exact."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and to make that worse I lost the sword Asuma gave me and got this instead." he pulled down his shirt, revealing a scar from his shoulder down to his breast.

"Wow, that must be painful. So what're you up to now?"

"Well I received the bounty for Zabuza, and now Kakashi's teaching me a new jutsu."

"Cool, what jutsu?"

"The Rasengan, it's an A-rank jutsu developed by the 4th Hokage that he taught to my brother before he died. It took him 3 years to create it and my brother a month to learn it, but I wanna get it down before the Chunin exams."

"But that's still a few weeks away."

"Yeah I know, but I have a feeling something big is going down and I wanna make sure I'm prepared for it." then he noticed a cat messing with one of the balloons "Oh great, now my training tool is a goddamn cat toy."

"What are you supposed to do to master this jutsu anyway?"

"I'm supposed to use my chakra to rotate the water inside the balloon until it pops, but only turning it right or left only gets it to stretch or leak, popping isn't even close."

"Maybe that's the problem. You're only trying one thing at a time, maybe you should do two at once."

Tatsu looked and saw the cat spinning the water balloon around until it popped "Yeah, that could work. Thanks Ino, I always get my best inspiration when I'm around you."

Ino blushed "Well… bye!" and she ran off, chastising herself for being so cowardly as to not take the chance.

Tatsu suddenly appeared in front of Ino "Actually Ino, I need a favor from you and the other two."

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"Well, this is out of the ordinary." Kakashi noted "The 3 of you treating me to lunch? I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on me." then he got snowed on.

They grinned and held up a sign "He fell for it!"

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Ending the fantasy within a fantasy within a fantasy…

"Know what I mean?" asked Kakashi.

They flinched.

Kakashi looked at the ramen, then at the genin "The 3 of you treating me to lunch? I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on me… today-" he covered, but nothing happened "Or something-" the ramen exploded in his face.

They grinned and helped up a sign "He fell for it!"

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Ending the fantasy within a fantasy…

"Is that the idea?" Kakashi questioned.

They flinched.

"The 3 of you treating me to lunch? You're not going to drop a big pile of snow on me are you? Or maybe-" he covered, but nothing happened "No, I'm just being silly." he looked ahead, then got punched by a big extendable boxing glove into a nearby fence.

They all grinned and held up the sign "He fell for it!"

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Ending the fantasy…

"Well?" Kakashi interrogated.

They flinched.

"Come on, you guys are up to something right?"

They were outright sweating.

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha-What are you crazy?" Naruto stammered.

Sakura tried to cover up "Kakashi-sensei please we're just celebrating the success of the Land of Waves mission so please, why don't you just go ahead and eat?"

Kakashi relaxed slightly "Well alright then, I suppose I should just dig in."

They stared intently.

Kakashi slowly began to pull his mask down "Boy, this looks good."

That was when Ino, Choji and Shikamaru showed up and blocked the view "Hey Sasuke, what a coincidence!"

"Get out of the way Ino-pig!"

"Aw man I can't see squat!"

Kakashi pulled his mask back up "All done, that was tasty!"

"So fast!"

"Something wrong?"

Considering Sakura and Ino were grabbing each other by the hair, and Naruto and Sasuke were about to choke Choji to death "Of course not, what makes you say that?"

Then Naruto noticed something "What the-?"

Teuchi and Ayame were staring at Kakashi, and Ayame had hearts in her eyes.

"Okay, now I'm curious." was the general idea they got.

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Kakashi showed up at the training ground, 6 hours into the training "Alright, how're you making out?"

Tatsu popped the water balloon, then turned to face him and grinned "You tell me."

"You mastered it already huh? You mind demonstrating."

"Watch carefully, keep your eyes on the balloon." he began generating chakra with the tree-climbing exercise in the hand with the balloon.

' _Interesting.'_

"Now for the next part." he summoned the water-walking technique in the other hand, he began rotating the water in different directions, effectively popping it.

' _So that's it. By steadying it with his right hand and applying chakra with his right, he got it to pop. It's an unusual idea, but hey, what about him is normal? Not like it's a bad thing._ That's pretty impressive, getting it down on the first day. You've successfully completed the first step. _He's used up a lot of chakra to get this down though, I wonder if his chakra network can handle the strain, and it only gets harder from here._ Alright then, looks like you're ready to move on to the next step."

"Yeah! Enough with all this kid crap, what's next on the list-"

"This." Kakashi held out a rubber ball.

"You're for real right now?"

"Let's see if you can pop this one." that's just what Kakashi did with his own rubber ball "There isn't any water in it, so it's a lot harder to pop."

Tatsu tried the method he used to pop the water balloon, but found little success ' _Dammit, this is harder than it looks.'_

"The first element is rotation, the second is force. But this object is solid, there's no water in it so it's far more difficult to exert your chakra rotation on it."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"I'll leave it to you to figure it out."

' _I'll have to come up with something new for this one.'_

"And in the meantime, I better get back to messing with my genin."

"They're trying to get off your mask, aren't they?"

"Yeah, and they almost succeeded the first time. Thanks for sending in Ino's team."

"Sure, I figured that if anyone would get to see your face it should be me."'

"Your brother and Itachi didn't, what makes you think you could? I mean, he mastered every step of this jutsu in a single month. Oh well, later." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tatsu looked down at the rubber ball ' _Yeah that's right, my brother mastered this jutsu in the span of one month. Well at least it's good to know that I have a deadline. No matter what, I'll surpass him. That much is a guarantee.'_

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Things on another end were getting stupid and fired up.

"That's it, nothing's gonna stop me from seeing that face!" Naruto growled.

"Yeah but how, you got any ideas?" asked Sakura.

"Don't you worry." he did the creepy face "We'll see it one way or another!"

Sakura promptly whacked him "I'm asking you how you stupid little troll!"

"Well alright smart-bitch, how do you propose we do it?"

"Well, uh-"

"Let's just stalk him around while he does his thing." Sasuke pointed out "He'll take off his mask eventually."

"Oh Sasuke I swear you're so smart!"

"Shut up useless fangirl."

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Later, they were watching Kakashi drooling over porn.

"What the hell is he doing?" Naruto wondered.

"That's just disappointing on a whole other level." Sasuke muttered.

Then Kakashi looked back, and they ducked.

"He's onto us!"

"Naruto you idiot, you blew our cover!" Sakura hissed.

"Shut up Sakura, that's your fault and you know it!"

Kakashi was actually looking at the poster they were hiding behind "My favorite book is going to be a movie? I'd better order tickets in advance!" and he ran off.

"He's on the move again, let's go before we lose him!" Sasuke and the others rounded a corner, but Kakashi had disappeared "Dammit, where'd he go?"

Then Kakashi appeared behind them "Hey. What're you 3 doing? Did you guys need something?"

"...No, not really." their petrified faces slowly turned to face him.

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Here comes plan #3.

"How'd we figure out we were tailing him?" asked Naruto.

"Maybe there were just too many of us." Sakura suggested.

"Oh please, if you know how to hide it doesn't matter how many you are." then he did the creepy face "Don't tell me you've forgotten all of your jutsu Sakura!"

"You're the one who forgets!" she promptly whacked him.

Sasuke sighed "Let's just shadow him, but we'll do it solo this time."

"Yeah I think so too, we should totally ditch Naruto."

"If we're ditching anybody, it's you."

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Naruto was tracking Kakashi first, only for him to disappear about 30 seconds in while he was reading his book "Dammit!"

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Sakura was watching Kakashi standing at the Memorial Stone in the rain "What is Kakashi-sensei doing? He hasn't even moved in ages." then she froze "Don't tell me-!" she ran out and quickly discovered that instead of the real Kakashi, she'd been stalking a dummy made of straw.

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Sasuke wouldn't even tell how he got thrown off and just gave a crappy excuse "I got tired of shadowing him."

So yeah, they all failed.

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Nightfall came.

Tatsu was on the ground panting heavily, his hand pulsating ' _Just like he said, this is a bitch-load harder than the water balloon. My arms and hands aren't killing me, I'm not sure how much more they can take.'_

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Morning came, and the sun was rising over the skies of Konoha.

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Tatsu spent another day on it, before he felt nothing but pain in his hands ' _Dammit, it won't pop no matter how hard I try. I'm just wasting time, burning through my chakra for absolutely no good reason. And this pain, the more I try to increase the flow, the more it hurts. But I have to give it all I've got or it won't pop, but what if all I've got isn't enough?'_ then he suddenly realized something ' _That's it! If I can work through the pain to generate more chakra and push it right to the limit of what I can endure…'_ he put both hands on the rubber ball and began generating as much chakra as he could ' _Come on… come on… still not enough… COME ON!'_ he got the rubber ball to let out a small leak.

"Well well, looks like someone made some progress."

Tatsu looked back to see Kakashi "Yeah, but I only made it spring a leak instead of pop like you did."

"That doesn't matter. You've come far and all on your own." Kakashi put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair "Your brother would be proud of you."

"Thanks."

"Also, you remember when I said about your brother mastering the Rasengan in a week?"

"Yeah?"

"I only said that to give you more motivation, it actually took him 10 days. Anyway, let's try a little experiment. Give me your left hand." he drew something on Tatsu's left hand.

"What am I looking at?"

Kakashi removed his glove and drew the same mark on his right hand "Take a look."

"The same mark. I don't get it, how's this supposed to help?"

"You got yelled at in the academy for not focusing didn't you?"

"They teach you generic stuff to be an average shinobi, I came to you guys because I wanted to become the best."

"Your brother was the same way." Kakashi held out a folded piece of paper "Look at this." then he drew the mark on the paper "Now look again."

Tatsu blinked "What am I looking at?"

"It won't help much if I explain too much right away, but the first time you looked at this paper your eyes just focused on the whole thing right?"

"Probably."

"And what about the second time? Most likely the point in the middle? Any time the person's eyes glance on a full piece of paper, they don't focus where to look. The eyes just wander the page. But if you put even a dot on it, the mind is drawn there. You're then concentrating on a single point, and with that focus comes spiritual stability, letting you tap into unimaginable power. When you finally broke open the whole in the rubber ball, I'm sure you must've been trying desperately to gather up the chakra you needed in the palm of your hand."

"Right."

"When you concentrate, you draw out power. But without some sort of target, concentration can be difficult, hence that mark. Now listen, from now on, when you're storing up power in your left hand make sure you're concentrating only on that mark."

"Concentrate, huh? Alright, I guess I can handle that."

"Well then I'll leave you to it. Later." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Tatsu to continue with his training.

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3 hours later…

Tatsu was trying on his 7th rubber ball ' _Come on, concentrate.'_ he got only a leak "Oh come on!" he got another ball ' _I thought I knew what concentration was, but this is insane! I guess I'll just have to concentrate even harder. Concentrate… concentrate…'_ he looked at the symbol on his palm ' _Concentrate… concentrate on one point only… Ow! Dammit, it hurts so much that I can't even build up chakra!'_

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Kakashi was watching him from afar, book not even out for once ' _I think he's almost reached his limit.'_

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Tatsu laid on his back, panting heavily "I just need… a little breather…" he saw leaves blowing away in the wind as one landed on his face ' _Oh yeah… now that I think about it, Iruka kept barking about how me, Naruto, Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru didn't have any concentration… they were just lazy, I was always training with Hayate-sensei or Asuma or someone, and always sent a Shadow Clone to the academy. Iruka made us stay after class to work on concentration. He said to focus all of my concentration on the leaf on my forehead, I'd learn to build up my chakra. By focusing on the single leaf, nothing can distract me. He who hones his concentration is truly a great ninja. Back then, pissing off Iruka was so much fun. Now that I think about it, this is the same thing. Maybe I should've paid more attention to what he was saying. Well, I guess there's no use in crying over spilled milk.'_ he took out a marker and turned the symbol on his palm into the leaf symbol ' _Alright, here we go. I'm doing this no matter what.'_ he got back up and got another rubber ball ' _Concentrate… concentrate… concentrate…'_ the rubber ball began pulsating, he mark of the leaf burning its image into his mind, chakra swirling around the mental image of it "This is it!" he began pouring chakra into it, and with one final burst of power, he finally popped the rubber ball, the force sending him tumbling back.

Kakashi looked at the destruction caused by the burst, then at Tatsu's burnt hand ' _He's really something else, that chakra was so dense it burned his palm. One surprise after another.'_

Tatsu shot Kakashi a weak grin "What do you know, it finally popped."

"Well done, it looks like you mastered the second step."

"Come on then, let me hear the third one…" then he passed out.

"That'll have to wait until you've recovered." Kakashi carried Tatsu on his back and took him back to his apartment.

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Later, Tatsu woke up and sat up in his bed "Oh man… my head's pounding like a goddamn bongo."

"Not surprising, you did push yourself really hard."

Tatsu looked and saw Kakashi sitting by his bed "Oh hey, how long have I been out?"

"A couple hours give or take, you're a real fighter."

"That's how I've always been." Tatsu slowly got out of bed and winced.

"Easy, you're still recovering."

"No, I've gotta get this down before the Chunin Exams. You said there were 3 steps, I've only learned 2."

"Relax, you can work on the 3rd on while you're recovering. It's considerably less straining on the body than the other two. Come on, let's head out to the training grounds if you're that eager."

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Kakashi blew up 2 balloons and handed one to Tatsu "The first step you learned was rotation, the second one was power. The third and final step to master is this." he held up his balloon in his hand.

Tatsu stared intently, but eventually lost his patience "Well? I'm waiting?"

"It looks like I'm holding an ordinary balloon doesn't it?"

"What do you mean it looks like? That's all you're doing."

"Let me try again, only without the balloon in my hand. Let's see what was really happening inside the balloon." he formed a spiralling ball of chakra.

' _Holy shit, the chakra is spiralling at unbelievable speeds but it's still perfectly round and getting faster. It's almost like-'_

"Like a small typhoon."

"So then, what you're doing right now is what was happening in the balloon?"

"I would demonstrate but I absolutely SUCK with my left hand. What do you think?"

' _Awesome! He's got all that chakra spinning around and the balloon wasn't even moving. There's more power than when the rubber ball popped and way more spin to it.'_

"Now for the third step, you've gotta draw out what you've learned so far and then maintain it. In other words, keeping the power and rotation at their maximum, visualize a thin membrane just inside the balloon, then of compressing the chakra inside it."

"So this stage is about keeping up the power and rotation I learned only this time without letting them pop open a delicate balloon."

"Exactly. Here, let me demonstrate." he turned towards a tree "Watch closely, after the first two steps of training you get this." he held out his hand, formed a Rasengan, and shot it into the tree, leaving a large spiral mark "Then, once you've mastered the third step, you'll get something like this." he formed another Rasengan, only this time it grinded against the tree and left a hole in it bigger than Tatsu's head "If you can keep that small typhoon the size of your palm then the energy won't be able to disperse, it'll spin faster and faster and it's power will be more and more compressed and its destructive power will reach its max."

' _Well, I'll give it a shot.'_ he focused on the balloon and generated his chakra ' _Okay, this feels about right.'_ he rotated it a bunch of different ways ' _Now keep it going Tatsu, keep it going, keep it going, almost got it, almost got it…'_ then it popped "Well f*ck."

"No cutting corners on this one, get your power and rotation to 100% and then maintain them."

' _This is insane, unless I can control my power perfectly it's impossible. I see now, this third step is on a whole other level from the others.'_

"I told you before, this technique is A-rank for a reason, a highly advanced ninjutsu."

"Let me give it another shot." Tatsu formed another Rasengan with both hands and slammed it into a tree, but found that it would only leave the spiral mark "Dammit!"

"Good for only your second try, but this is as complex as it is for a reason. Just give it time, you'll get it. Well, gonna screw with the others some more. Later." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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5 days passed.

Tatsu looked at the whole in the boulder before him ' _Finally, I've got it!'_

"Looks like you've made some progress."

Tatsu looked and saw Kakashi behind him "Kakashi."

"Mind showing me?"

"Sure, but first, **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned a Shadow Clone.

"Shadow Clones? Alright, I admit I'm curious. Go on."

"Right." he had the clone rotating chakra in his right hand with both of the clone's hands.

' _So that's it. He made the clone to gather up his chakra. Ingenious.'_

' _Compress the chakra… keep it going… focus…_ **Rasengan!"** Tatsu let the clone disappear and slammed it into the boulder in front of him, obliterating it "There…" he let out a heavy and exhausted sigh "I'm gonna take a little nap now…" and he passed out.

' _You've really come a long way in the past 4 years, I'm proud of you kid and I know your parents and brother would be too.'_

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Another week passed, and the Chunin Exams were coming soon.

Iruka and Mizuki received a report from Kakashi "Alright, thanks for the report Kakashi-sensei. How's Naruto doing? Is he getting along okay with the others?"

Kakashi shrugged "He and Sasuke are getting along alright thanks to Tatsu, but Sakura is a fangirl at heart and worships Sasuke like a god and despises Naruto and Tatsu for being stronger than him."

"It's been so busy around here, we haven't seen him since he got back from the mission to the Land of Waves. I'm a little worried about him."

"Seriously though, Sakura concerns me. At this rate, she'll end up doing something stupid that'll drive the team to alienate her or kick her out entirely."

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At the same time, Naruto, Sasuke, and Konohamaru's gang had run into trouble with two genin, Kankuro and Temari, from the Hidden Sand.

Kankuro grabbed Konohamaru by his scar "Does this hurt punk?"

"Put him down Kankuro, or you know you'll pay for it later." Temari warned.

"Take your hands off of him right now." Naruto warned, crimson chakra charging in his fingertips.

Kankuro smirked ' _So these are the Leaf Village genin._ We've got a few more minutes before he gets here, let's mess with these punks huh?"

"Put him down!" Naruto charged.

Kankuro moved his fingertips, causing Naruto to fall to the ground.

"What the- What was that?"

"You're a Leaf genin too? Looks like your village is full of wimps."

"That's it, drop the kid now or I'll tear you apart! You've got that fool?!"

Sasuke covered Naruto's mouth "You're the fool, making threats isn't going to help."

Kankuro was losing patience "You're annoying, all of you. I don't like runts or any other scrawny weaklings, so when a wimp like this starts shooting off his mouth I just wanna break him in half."

Temari sighed "Fine, I'm not involved in any of this okay?"

"First, I'll take care of this little squirt and then I'll waste the other one." he drew back his fist, only to drop it and grip his other hand, which was bleeding rather heavily.

A rock had bounced off of his hand hard, courtesy of Tatsu in a tree above them "You guys are a long way from home and way out of your league, any one of us three could take you out if we put our minds to it."

Kankuro scowled ' _Showoff.'_

Temari smirked with a pink tinge on her cheek ' _Well well, local hottie.'_

"Oh great, another wimp to tick me off."

"I should be saying that about you."

Kankuro whipped around and saw Tatsu behind him, shooting him a cold glare ' _When did he-?'_

"Only warning, get lost and don't mess with my friends again."

"You know something punk, you're the kind of pesky little snot I hate the most, all attitude and nothing to back it up." yeah, Kankuro had more arrogance than brains, and he prepared to unleash something called the Crow.

"Kankuro, back off." a new voice cut in "You're an embarrassment to our village."

Tatsu looked and saw a red-headed figure with a gourd on his back standing upside down on a tree next to him ' _This guy's on a whole other level from these two, from what I can sense his power's off the charts. I didn't even notice him show up, he didn't make a sound. From what I know, only jonin like Kakashi are that smooth.'_

Kankuro was sweating bullets "Hey Gaara."

The figure, now known as Gaara, glared coldly at Kankuro "Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here?"

"I know. I mean they challenged us, they started the whole thing really. See, here's what happened-"

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

"Right, I was totally out of line, I'm sorry Gaara."

Then Gaara turned to Tatsu and the others "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused."

Tatsu studied Gaara for a moment ' _This guy has an evil look in his eye.'_

Gaara studied Tatsu in return ' _He stopped Kankuro and broke his hand with only a pebble and made it look easy, this guy is someone to keep an eye on.'_ Gaara suddenly de-materialized into sand and rematerialized on the ground "Let's go, we didn't come here to play games."

"Hold up." Tatsu appeared on the ground in front of Naruto and Sasuke "From the look of your headbands I'd say you're from the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind, am I correct in assuming you're here for the Chunin Exams?"

"Yeah, see for yourself." Temari held up a passport "We have the permission slips right here, see for yourself. Of course you're correct, we are Hidden Sand genin. Our home is the Land of Wind and we are here for the Chunin Exams."

"Good to know. Now then, identify yourself."

"You mean me?" she sounded rather hopeful.

"Your name's Temari, it said so on your passport. I'm talking about the guy with the gourd on his back and no eyebrows."

Gaara stopped and turned to face him "My name is Gaara of the Desert, these are my brother Kankuro and my sister Temari. I'm curious about you too, who are you?"

"My name is Tatsu Kamikaze, the blonde with the stupid look on his face is Naruto Uzumaki and the one with the blue shirt and duckass hair is Sasuke Uchiha. I look forward to seeing you all in the exams." he turned around "Alright guys, let's go."

"Come on." Gaara took off, with Temari and Kankuro in tow.

"I'm sure you guys sensed it." Tatsu shot looks at Naruto and Sasuke looks "Temari and Kankuro are alright, but Gaara's power is off the charts. At this rate, even I might not be able to beat him."

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look.

"That said, I'd definitely give him a good fight. After all, I've got a few tricks and surprises up my sleeve. Speaking of which…" he looked up in a tree "You guys can come out now, I know you're there."

Sure enough, three ninja appeared, each with a music note on their headbands "So you noticed us. Impressive."

"Judging by your headbands I'd say you're from the Hidden Sound Village."

"That's right." the girl in the team held up a permission slip.

"Okay then, welcome. I'm Tatsu Kamikaze, this is Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

The bandaged figure stepped forward "I'm Dosu Kinuta, these are my teammates Kin Tsuchi and Zaku Abumi. I look forward to seeing you in the exams, it might be a good challenge." and they left.

"Well it looks like this exam is gonna be pretty interesting."

"I haven't heard of the Hidden Sound Village." Naruto commented.

"Not surprising, they're a new village that formed not long ago." Sasuke told him "Anyway, I'm gonna go practice my Sharingan. You guys do whatever." and he walked off.

"Okay, now that he's gone…" Tatsu leaned in to Naruto "I wanna talk to Kyuubi about something."

Naruto blinked "But he's-"

"In your gut, I know. But there's a way to do it; meditating into Limbo, the plain of existence between this world and the next. We'll do it tonight."

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Through meditating, Tatsu appeared in Limbo, a black void with only a single light.

Kyuubi soon appeared before him " **So you've come…"**

"Naruto is your jinchuuriki." Tatsu pointed out "He's your shield against enemies who'd want your power, and you're his sword."

Kyuubi was actually caught off guard by this " **Yes…"**

"I think for that purpose, it would suit you best if Naruto becomes strong and doesn't fall under anyone's influence or else your power would simply become someone else's tool."

Kyuubi studied Tatsu for a moment, trying to uncover his aim " **So that's it…** _ **Protect my jailer,**_ **is that it? If he falls under a genjutsu then I can dispel it, if someone enters his mind like your little Yamanaka girl then I can drive them out, if he's in danger then I can give him chakra, and all of this is for my own self-interest. But that's not all is it? It's not just that. I could tell the boy things to turn him against the village, against you, but what would be the benefit of that? Humans are weak alone, the more allies he has like you and the Uchiha boy the more people to stand between us and people who desire my power. Well, that's what you're betting on. Alright, I'll help the kid out. You've got guts I'll give you that. Now then, onto important business."**

"For starters, Gaara."

" **That boy is a jinchuriki like Naruto, he holds the one-tailed Shukaku inside of him. Be weary of him, there's a chance that even your level of power would be unable to defeat him."**

"There's more to a fight than power."

" **True, but be weary nonetheless. Next, onto the Tenseigan. You awakening the Tenseigan that day on the bridge has granted you a boost in power when they're active, but there's a drawback when using their full power."**

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

" **Exactly. The longer you keep your Tenseigan Chakra Cloak active or the more emotionally distressed you are when using it, the greater the risk, so don't keep it up for more than 5 minutes at a time, or even all of my power might not be enough to stop your rampage. If it gets out of control, I'll have the kid use just enough chakra to match it."**

"Alright, fair enough."

" **Now then, there's one more thing you should know, but I'll leave that up to him."**

"Up to who?"

"Me." a new voice cut in.

Tatsu turned to see a blond figure wearing a white haori with red flames "Hold shit… the Fourth Hokage…"

"Language, and call me Minato."

"Alright, so what'd you want to tell me?"

"Well first off, I'd like to thank you for looking after my son."

Tatsu blinked, then formed a Shadow Clone "Give it a minute…" the ball of chakra appeared and the clone vanished "For the father of the year!" and he shoved it into Minato's gut, sending him spiralling into a random boulder "What the f*ck man! Why the f*ck would you seal that gigantic mutt in your own son?"

Minato got up and spat out some blood "First of all, language. Second, great job on mastering my Rasengan and the Shadow Clone's a nice touch. To answer your question, I thought it would save him against powerful opponents. I believed he would be able to overcome the worst enemies to ever attack Konoha."

"You don't know what the hell Naruto's been through, everyone in the Leaf was a complete and utter ******."

"I know, it was selfish on stupid."

" **Emphasis on stupid."** Kyuubi said dryly " **Also, am I the only one who's going to deal with the fact that you said "Language"?"**

"...Deal with that later." Tatsu said slowly "Anyway, I'm guessing that since Naruto's your son you thought he could do it."

Minato nodded "Exactly."

"So why are you here anyway?"

"Because there's something I'm going to trust you with: the true reason behind the Kyuubi's attack. That night, it didn't attack of its own free will."

" **Hey! I'm not an it, I'm a he!"**

"Sorry. Anyway, **he** was being controlled by someone."

" **Better!"**

"Who's strong enough to control the Kyuubi?" asked Tatsu.

"Madara Uchiha." was all Minato said.

"Wait, as in _the_ Madara Uchiha? Founder of the Leaf? The one who fought Hashirama Senju at the Valley of End all those years ago?"

"That's the one."

"But that was over 100 years ago, how could he still be alive?"

"I wish I knew. Anyway, a masked man claiming to be Madara managed to sneak into the Hidden Leaf. He attacked while my wife Kushina was giving birth to Naruto, and he managed to separate me from her and broke the seal holding the Kyuubi inside her. Then he unleashed _him_ on the Hidden Leaf while controlling him with his Sharingan. Fortunately, I was able to use a contract seal to break his control over the Kyuubi. Then, with no other options, I used the Reaper Death Seal and used an 8-signed seal to seal half of the Kyuubi inside me, and the other half inside Naruto."

"Wait, you're talking to me from the Reaper's stomach?"

"Yep."

"What's it like?"

"A lot roomier than you'd imagine."

"Anyway, why tell me all this?"

Minato put a hand on Tatsu's shoulder "Undoubtedly, Madara will try again to get Kyuubi. When he does, I want you and your friends and allies to do everything you can to make sure he doesn't get Naruto."

"You have my word. Me, Sasuke and everyone will make sure of it."

"Good. Also, can you not tell Naruto about me being his father just yet? I want to tell him myself when the time is right."

"I understand, you have my word."

"Thank you." and with that, he vanished.

" **You know the 4th Hokage took 3 years to master the jutsu you perfected in a week, if this were in Limbo it would've been a mere fraction of the time. 6 hours in here is actually 1 minute in the real world."**

Tatsu blinked "Cool, Kazuma never told me that."

" **He probably didn't know it himself."**

"Alright, and Kyuubi… thanks."

" **Call me Kurama. Anyways, get out."**

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At the same time, Sarutobi had gathered all of the village's jonin to announce the Chunin Exam and the participants.

Kakashi recommended Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura for the exams, and put Tatsu in as a 4th member, to which Sarutobi agreed.

Kurenai recommended her squad.

Asuma recommended Ino and the others.

Guy even recommended his squad, which wasn't much of a surprise since he held them back a year to give them a better chance to prepare.

Iruka was still skeptical, so Sarutobi decided to hold a pre-test.

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Sakura finally lost her temper "Why why why?! It's always the same, he sets the time and then we have to wait hours for him! What about my feelings? I rushed here so fast I didn't even have time to blow-dry my hair!"

"Shut up Sakura." three voices chorused simultaneously- wait, three?

They looked and saw Tatsu sitting atop one of the red torii gates above them "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Tatsu, what're you doing here?" asked Naruto.

"Well the short version is that Kakashi recommended you three for the Chunin Exams, and I'm with you guys as an extra member." he held out three pieces of paper "Here's your application forms but this is all voluntary. You don't have to do it, you can wait until next year if you want. I know another guy's squad who did that."

"Alright!" Naruto wrapped Tatsu in a hug "You rule man!"

"No, Kakashi rules. He's the one who recommended you- Don't slobber on me! Anyway, whoever wants to take the exam sign the application and come to room 301 at the academy at 3:00 PM 5 days from now. Later." and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered "One step closer to becoming Hokage!"

Sasuke inwardly smirked, while a chibi-version of him was jumping for joy in his head ' _One step closer to killing Itachi.'_

"YES! IT'S ALL THANKS TO SASUKE!" Sakura screeched.

Naruto and Sasuke sweatdropped at Sakura's stupidity.

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Nightfall came.

Tatsu looked back at a cloaked figure behind him "Alright, how'd it go?"

"They all did like you said." the cloaked figure disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing Mizuki in his place "Although Ino has one hell of a right hook. She, Naruto and Sasuke are all definitely the most impressive. You're a good influence on them. So how'd your test go?"

"I saw through Iruka the moment he tried a pathetic sneak attack from behind and punched him out."

"I told him a sneak attack was a bad idea. Still though, the Chunin Exams can break just about anyone."

"I know I can take it no sweat, and Naruto, Sasuke and Ino shouldn't have much of a problem either. As for the others, it could go either way."

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Guy's genin team, Neji, Tenten and Lee, were in the middle of training.

"Did you hear?" asked Lee "We're getting 3 squads of rookies in the exams. First year genin, that hasn't happened in 5 years."

Tenten scoffed "No way, I bet it's just some jonin trying to boost their egos."

"No, there's more to the story than that. 3 of them are from Kakashi's squad, along with an extra tag-along."

"Interesting." Neji admitted.

"But not very." Tenten hurled a kunai at a target.

"Either way, it's too bad for them."

"I wouldn't be too sure Neji." said Lee "I know one of them that might give even you a run for your money."

"Please, as if fate would let me lose to an underclassmen."

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The day came.

Sakura met the group outside the academy "Hey Sasuke."

"You're late." came the chorus.

"Sorry."

Sasuke studied her for a moment ' _What's with her? She's different.'_

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Apparently there was a ruckus outside the exam room.

Two genin were pushing around Guy's team, who were pulling an act "You're taking the Chunin Exams but you can't even get past us? Why don't you just give up now before you get hurt? I think I hear your mommy calling you."

"Please let us through, we're supposed to go in there." Tenten pleaded.

They knocked her down too "Get real punk, the exams are going to make this look like a picnic. Some of you won't survive the exams, others will be wrecked for life, and some of you may go crazy. For Chunin, it's always like and death. You think it's a joke? Chunin are qualified to lead missions. The lives of your squad members are in your hands, so you better be tough enough to take the heat. Delicate little girls don't belong here. We're just thinning out your herd, you won't pass anyway so go home and play with your dolls."

"Real nice speech assholes." Tatsu led the group to the front "Now if you wouldn't mind stepping aside and letting us through. _Should've known these guys would try and weed out the weaklings-'_

"And release the genjutsu while you're at it." Sasuke blurted out "We can see through your illusion anyway. We're going to the third floor but we've only gone up one flight of stairs. We're only on the second floor."

' _Dammit! Well, might as well go along with it._ Alright guys, drop the transformations too. You're supposed to be proctors not actors, and for the record Kotetsu there's no way that's your real nose."

"So you guys noticed." they released the genjutsu, revealing that they were in fact only on the second floor "Well aren't we the smart ones? So you noticed an illusion. Now let's see you deal with this!" Kotetsu aimed a kick.

Lee blitzed in and blocked it, as well as Tatsu's counterattack "Now's not the time to fight with each other."

' _He stopped Tatsu's kick, he must have some chakra in his arm.'_ Sasuke noted.

"Hey, what happened to the plan?" asked Neji "I thought you were the one who said to keep a low profile and don't let anyone see our skill level."

Lee shrugged "Sorry, but I couldn't let this one do anything stupid before I could get my shot at him."

"I see." Neji looked over to Tatsu "Hey you over there, what's your name?"

Tatsu remained unfazed "It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking for someone else's."

"You're a rookie aren't you, how old are you anyway?"

"About 6 months younger than you guys, not that it's any business of someone like you. A prodigy with a stick up his ass, you're like how Sasuke used to be." then he looked back "Alright guys, let's go." and he led his team up the staircase ' _Well it looks like Lee is as fiery as ever.'_

Neji studied Tatsu intently ' _Tatsu, the last of the Kamikaze clan. So he's the one Lee was talking about.'_

"He's pretty bold, you gonna challenge him?" asked Tenten.

Neji just walked without a word.

Tenten was about to follow, but noticed that Lee wasn't moving "Lee, what're you waiting for? We're supposed to check in."

Lee shook his head "You two go, I'll catch up in a minute. I've got something to check on." and he left.

"What's that about?"

"I have no idea." Neji kept walking without looking back.

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Tatsu led the group on their way "Remember guys, no matter what you can't underestimate the team from back there."

"Hey you, with the blue gi. Hold on." a voice cut in.

Tatsu looked and saw Lee above them "Well you're as fiery as ever Lee, so what's up?"

"You know what, I want you and I to fight right here and now."

"Fine, but first, introductions. These are my boys Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, and the banshee is their teammate Sakura Haruno."

"A pleasure, my name is Rock Lee." he turned back to Tatsu "Co-Rookie of the Year Tatsu Kamikaze, my old friend and rival, let's see just how much you've improved." he got into his combat stance "Come on."

Tatsu got into his own combat stance "Alright, let's go."

"Very well." Lee disappeared faster than Sasuke or the others could see.

Tatsu followed him easily and blocked a kick to the face.

Lee retreated and broke away, and then he charged.

Tatsu kept up with him easily, despite gaining some minor bruises from the occasional punch or kick that landed.

Lee jumped back, then ran up again in an attempt to kick Tatsu in the face.

Tatsu dodged by leaping upwards, falling right into Lee's trap.

Lee suddenly appeared behind him "You have improved Tatsu, but you still let your guard down."

" **Dancing Leaf Shadow,** eh? Not bad, I should've expected as much."

"Now then, it's over." he was about to unravel the bandages on his arms.

"Alright, that's enough!" a pinwheel stuck the bandages to the wall "Lee? Get down here!"

Lee dropped to the ground, revealing his heavily bandaged hand, and bowed to a turtle with a Leaf headband. "You were watching us the whole time?"

"Of course. That last technique is forbidden, you know that."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" he flinched under the glare "I wasn't planning to use a forbidden jutsu, but I was in the middle of a fight and-"

"You're a disgrace! You think you'll get away with a bunch of lame excuses like that? A shinobi never reveals his techniques unless it's absolutely necessary. It's such a basic rule, you should know it by now."

"Forgive me sir."

"Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright then, please come out Guy-sensei!"

Then Guy came out "Hey, what's shakin' everybody? How ya doing, like treating ya good?"

"N-O." Tatsu appeared in between guy, cut Lee's bandages with his sword, then grabbed Lee's hand and led him away "Alright Sasuke, Naruto, let's go."

"Right." they followed, with Sakura in tow.

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They soon arrived at 301, Lee having gone ahead to meet his teammates.

Kakashi stood outside the door waiting for them "Glad you came Sakura, for your sake and the others. Now you can all formally register for the Chunin Exam."

"Why, what do you mean?" asked Sakura.

"You see, no groups of less than 3 are allowed to apply for and take the exam. That's the way it's always been, and it's why Tatsu joined your squad for it."

"But sensei, you said the decision to take the exam was up to the individual."

"That's right, I did."

"Was that a lie?"

"Sort of, it is an individual decision but it affects all of you, and I didn't tell you before because I didn't want the other guys pressuring you. At the same time, I didn't want you feeling obliged to participate, because of any feelings you might have for Sasuke, or for Naruto or Tatsu. I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will."

"Wait, do you mean that if the others had decided to show up but I decided not to come with them-"

"It would've been the end of the line, if you hadn't come along I couldn't have let the others in. but it's a moot point, you're all here and for the right reasons. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Tatsu. I'm proud of you, I couldn't ask for a better team." he stepped aside "Good luck."

"We won't let you down Kakashi, and a Kamikaze never goes back on his word." and with that, Tatsu led the team through the door.

Kakashi found himself alone ' _They'll be something great, I know it. Tatsu, give them guidance and all of you please be careful.'_

 **A/N:**

 **Why did I give Tatsu the Rasengan? Well it was an idea that I recycled from the previous version of this fic, and I didn't exactly want to part with that idea in this one either.**

 **See, I mentioned in the summary that there would be Sakura bashing involved, and this is where that truly begins, but this is nothing in comparison to what I plan to do with her in the next chapter.**


	5. Chunin Exams Begin, Sakura's Downfall

**KeybladeMasterRiku:** You'll just have to wait and see what I come up with.

 **Dai sennin kurosaki d Naruto:** I didn't see any reason not to, and I wouldn't say it's copied from canon. It's just him going through the steps of learning the jutsu. And I wouldn't say everyone who knows it is directly linked to him, I mean Konohamaru learned it and he isn't connected to the Fourth Hokage.

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Naruto and company froze at what they saw "Wh-What's this? I guess we're not alone."

"Hey Tatsu, where've you been?" Ino leapt onto Tatsu's back "I haven't seen you since you were training to-"

"Easy." Tatsu cut her off "I'm waiting until the right moment to unveil it."

"Oh right, sorry. Still, I knew you'd show up, but with these guys?"

"They wouldn't let me enter solo."

"Hey porker, back off him!" Sakura screeched.

"Oh great Miss Forehead, they let you in? Still got those big frown lines on your billboard brow I see."

"Oh, it's you guys." that was when Shikamaru and Choji showed up "I knew this was gonna be a drag, but I didn't know it was gonna be this lame. Hey Tatsu."

"Hey Shika, hey Choji." Tatsu waved.

"Well well, what do you know?" then Kiba came up with his squad "It looks like the whole gang's back together again. Here we all are, all 10 rookies. This is gonna be fun, at least for those of us good enough to make the cut, right Tatsu?" he failed to noticed the angry glare Ino shot at him "Just wait, we're going to blow you guys away."

"More like get your crotch blown away for barking up the wrong tree, now keep that mutt on a leash."

"Hey don't talk about Akamaru like that!"

"I was talking to Akamaru and I was talking about you."

"Yeah? Well, we've been training like crazy."

"And you think we haven't? I know for a fact that me, Naruto, Sasuke and Ino are the 4 best our generation's got and we've all got the best chances of becoming chunin. Oh, and there's a good chance of Shino too. Hey Shino."

"Tatsu." Shino gave a stoic nod.

"Hey you guys." then another _genin_ came over "You might want to try keeping it down a little. I mean no offense but you're the 10 rookies right? Fresh out of the academy? I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it, this isn't a class field trip."

"You should give your name before criticizing others." Tatsu pointed out "The name's Tatsu Kamikaze."

"I know who you are, the genin who took on Zabuza 1-on-1 and lived to tell about it. Anyway, the name's Kabuto Yakushi. But really, look around you. You've all made quite an impression."

Sasuke and the others looked and noticed the glares they were getting from a certain group.

"See those guys? They're from the Hidden Rain Village, very touchy all of them. This exam makes everyone tense, and you don't want to rub them the wrong way right now. Not that you could help it, after all how would you know how things work? You're just rookies, you remind me of myself a while back."

"Your name's Kabuto right?" Tatsu guessed "How many times have you taken this exam?"

"Well, it's… my 7th. They're held twice a year, so this will be my 4th year."

"With as much experience as you have, maybe you're willing to give us some tips?"

"Sure I could help you guys out a little, with my Ninja Info Cards." he pulled the cards out of his belt "It's hard to explain, but these cards have been chakra encoded with everything I've learned over the past 4 years. I've got more than 200 of them, so I haven't been completely wasting my time. They may not look like much to the naked eye, in fact they appear blank. Don't want just anyone seeing this stuff." he started spinning one of the cards.

"What are you doing?" asked Sakura.

"You see, I'm using my chakra to reveal their secrets, like this for example." he summoned a map on one of them "This shows the geographical distribution of all the candidates who've come to take the Chunin Exam. What villages they come from, and how many from each village. Why do you guys think they all come here to take the exam together at the same time?"

"To foster friendship between nations, international brotherhood and all that." Tatsu pointed out.

"Exactly, and it's true enough as far as it goes."

"But there's another reason."

"Yeah. You see, the important thing is that this way they can carefully regulate the total number of shinobi that end up in each village, thereby maintaining the balance of power. If the balance isn't maintained then one nation could wind up with many more shinobi than its neighbors and it might be tempted to attack them, so they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I suppose."

"Do those cards of yours have any info on any individual candidates?"

"They might, do you have someone special in mind?"

"Two actually, Gaara of the Desert from the Hidden Sand and Rock Lee from the Hidden Leaf."

"Man that's no fun, you even know their names. That makes it easy." he swiped out two cards in an instant "Here they are."

"Lee first."

"Okay, first up is Rock Lee. Looks like he's about a year older than you guys, or 6 months older than you Tatsu. Mission experience, 11 C-rank and 20 D-rank. His squad leader is Might Guy, in the last 12 months his taijutsu has radically improved but his other skills are pretty shaky."

"I expected as much."

"Last year he got a lot of attention as a genin, but for some reason he chose not to participate in the Chunin Exam. This will be his first time as a candidate, same as you guys. His teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga. Okay, now for Gaara of the Desert." he pulled up Gaara's card "Mission experience, 8 C-rank and- get this, one B-rank as a genin. There's not a lot more information on this guy, he was a rookie from another land originally, but there is this. He survived every mission without getting a scratch on him."

Shikamaru finally spoke "The dude's done a B-rank as a genin, and has never even been injured?"

"That's right. Anyone else?"

Then Sakura stepped up "Pull up Tatsu Kamikaze."

Naruto, Sasuke and the others stared at him incredulously "What the hell Sakura?"

"If he reads Tatsu's card then everyone will know how much of a loser he is."

"Alright then." Kabuto pulled up the card "Tatsu Kamikaze. He's from the Leaf, as I'm sure you're already aware. He's a One Man Team, something that hasn't been seen in several years in this village. Taijutsu is somewhat above average, the same with her stealth. Genjutsu is below average. Ninjutsu is way above average. He's performed 22 D-rank, 2 C-rank and 1 A-rank, and is notable for taking on Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, and winning single-handedly."

Sakura was left jaw-dropped that he wasn't the loser she thought he was, mainly since her brain deleted the part about him beating Zabuza and Sasuke dying, and switched around their roles for some reason.

Kabuto pulled the card with the countries back out "Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, Sound. From the looks of it, they've all sent exceptionally skilled candidates to the exam this time around. Of course, the Hidden Sound Village is small and sprang up recently, and no one knows anything about it. Those guys are a mystery." he put the cards away "Well, you get the point. The competition's going to be intense this year. In the 4 years I've been coming, I've never seen a crop of candidates with as much potential as this bunch. Yep, we've got our work cut out for us."

Then Naruto did something stupid and pointed at every other genin in the room "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna beat every one of you! Believe it! Yeah, I feel a lot better now."

"Good to know." Tatsu said dryly "Because now they're all gonna go apeshit on us the first chance they get." he nonchalantly blocked a punch from Zaku "I mean, what the hell is wrong with you?" he blocked a kunai with his own and caught Dosu's fist aimed for Kabuto's face and grabbed the gauntlet on his arm while still talking "I mean it's great to have confidence and all, but think about how it impacts the rest of them, particularly the other 6 of them over there." then he looked at Dosu "Oh hey, you want something?"

Dosu stared intently at him ' _He blocked all our attacks without breaking a sweat, and he may play the idiot but he knew exactly where to grab the Sound Gauntlet on my arm to cancel out my jutsu. He's definitely a league above the rest, I knew he was good but he's hiding his true strength.'_

That was when the proctor showed up in a puff of smoke "Alright you baby-face degenerates, pipe down and listen up. It's time to begin, I'm your proctor Ibiki Morino, and from this moment your worst enemy. First, you candidates from the Hidden Sound Village, knock it off. Who told you you could fight? You wanna be failed before we've even begun?"

"Sorry, it's our first time." Dosu told him "Guess we're a little jumpy… sir."

"I'll say this once so listen up, there will be no combat between candidates, no attacking each other without the permission of your proctor and even then the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited. Anyone who even thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately. Now if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chunin Exams. Hand over your paperwork, in return you'll each be given a number. This number determines where you sit, we'll start the written test once you're all seated."

Naruto froze "Written? _F*ck f*ck f*ck!'_

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Naruto wasn't comfortable with the test at all ' _I don't even know where the others are sitting, I'm all alone. This is already a disaster!'_

"Everyone, eyes front." Ibiki got their attention "There are a few rules you need to be aware of, and I won't answer any questions so you'd better pay attention the first time around. Alright, rule #1 is this. The written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin the test with a perfect score of 10 points. 1 point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you miss 3, your final score will be 7. Rule #2. Teams will pass or fail based on the total scores of all 3 members. I have my reasons, so shut up and listen. Rule #3. The sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating, and for every incident they spot they will subtract 2 points from the culprit's score. Be warned, their eyes are extremely sharp and if they catch you 5 times you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here, if you want to be considered shinobi then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be. One more thing, if any candidate should get a 0 and fail the test then the entire team fails. The final question won't be given out until the 15 minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have one hour total. Begin!"

And cue everyone taking the written portion.

Tatsu pondered for a moment without even picking up his pencil ' _These questions are loads of crap only a bookworm like Sakura could answer, and even I can only answer about half of them. It's like they're expecting us… to… cheat… Dammit, why didn't I think of it before?! My brother told me something about having to cheat on the written test, it must be meant for subtly gather intel! How did I not think of it before? My Tenseigan can't copy people's hand movements and writing like Sasuke's Sharingan, and I'm not a bookworm like Sakura, so how am I gonna go about it? Wait… yeah, I've got one that nobody would notice!'_ he prepared to make a Shadow Clone, there was a poof but nothing appeared.

' _So that's it.'_ Ibiki thought ' _He incorporated a Shadow Clone and a transformation so fast that nobody could even notice. Not bad.'_

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45 minutes, lots of cheating and several idiots and jackasses getting thrown out had passed.

Ibiki finally addressed them ' _Now that we've weeded out most of the hopeless cases, 15 minutes to go. Time for the main event._ Alright, listen up. Here's the 10th and final question. But before I give you the 10th question, there are some more rules that you need to be aware of. These rules are unique to question 10, listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you. Rule #1, each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

"So what's the catch then?" asked Tatsu "Say we chose not to do it, what then?"

"If you choose not to take the 10th question regardless of your answers to the other 9, you'll get a zero. In other words you fail, and that means of course that both your teammates fail as well. Next, if you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly then you will not only fail, you will be barred from taking the Chunin Exam ever again!"

"Hey that's bull man, that's ridiculous!" Kiba barked "What kind of bogus rule is that? There's lots of people here who've taken the test before."

Ibiki let out a very unsettling chuckle "I guess you're just unlucky, I wasn't making the rules before but I am now. Of course if you don't want to take it you don't have to, if you're not feeling confident then by all means skip it. You can come back and try again next year. Now then, if you're ready, the 10th question. If you don't want to take it then raise your hand, your number will be recorded and then you're free to go."

A few teams gave up.

Tatsu studied his team intently for a moment ' _This is your moment of truth guys, do you have the resolve.'_ then he saw Naruto raise his hand ' _Well f*ck everything I know.'_

Naruto suddenly slammed it down on the table in front of him "Screw you and your question, I don't quit and I don't run! You can act like this ballsy tough guy all you want, but you won't scare me off! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life, I'll still be Hokage someday!"

' _And everything I know isn't a lie. Good for you Naruto, good for all of us.'_

Ibiki looked and saw nobody else was gonna drop out ' _Remarkable, that little outburst has given the others some backbone. He's inspired them into staying. 78 left, more than I expected. But I don't see anyone wavering, I think that's it._ Well then I admire your determination if nothing else, for those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do and that's for me to tell you that you've all passed the first exam."

Tatsu knew why, but decided to ask for anyone else "I don't think they get it, what do you mean we passed, and what about the 10th question?"

"There never was one, not a written one at least. Actually-"

"The decision to stay was the answer to the 10th question, it was testing if we had the determination and resolve to back up that decision, and the first 9 were to test our ability to gather information under difficult circumstances."

"Exactly. Also, never interrupt me again. Those who remain have successfully answered the 10 questions I put to you. You have earned the right to continue on to the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the Chunin Exams completed, there's nothing left but to wish you all good luck."

"Alright, we did it, that's one down!" Naruto started cheering like an idiot.

' _He's a funny one, that kid. And that other one Tatsu, he's a smart one.'_

Then a bundle crashed through the window, revealing Anko as the next proctor, and put up a banner complimenting herself.

' _Jumped the gun as usual.'_

"Heads up boys and girls!" Anko barked "This is no time to be celebrating. I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test? Good! Then let's go, follow me!"

"...You're early. Again."

Anko blushed angrily ' _Dammit!_ How many are there? Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? Your test was too easy, you must be getting soft."

"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year."

"They sure don't look it. Trust me, before I'm done with them more than half will be eliminated."

Tatsu's eyes narrowed ' _Like Kazuma said, next up is the Forest of Death.'_

"Alright, you maggots have had it easy so far but things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed."

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After that, Ibiki took note of how Naruto didn't answer a single question.

Naruto was definitely a funny one.

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Morning came.

Naruto and the others looked at the forest ahead of them "Woah nice place, what is it?"

"The Forest of Death." Tatsu told him.

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam. It's the 44th Battle Training Zone, but we call it the Forest of Death." explained Anko.

"This whole place just completely creeps me out." Sakura muttered.

"It should, they call it the Forest of Death and soon you're going to find out what that reason is."

Naruto then proceeded to act like a tough jackass "Do your worst, you're not gonna scare me away! I can handle anything!"

"So, look like we've got ourselves a tough guy." she chucked a kunai that whizzed past his face, grazing it, and then appeared behind him "You tough enough to handle this? You're not afraid are you? Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest." she was about to whip out another kunai when she sensed something behind her.

A Hidden Grass ninja suddenly held out her kunai with _her_ tongue "I was just returning your knife."

"Why thank you grass ninja. You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to meet a premature end."

"My pardon. With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair, I'm afraid I just became a little excited. I meant you no harm." and then she walked away.

"Likewise. Seems like everyone here today is quick tempered, must be something in the air. This is gonna be fun."

Naruto didn't take very kindly to that ' _Quick tempered?! You're the one who threw the kunai at me!'_

Anko made her way back to the front "Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all. It's just a standard consent form. Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form and then sign it."

"What for?" asked Sasuke.

"Some of you may not come back from this test, and I have to get your consent to that risk, otherwise it would be my responsibility. Now I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out." she handed them out "The first thing you need to know is that this test will tax every one of your survival skills. First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The 44th Battle Training Zone has 44 locked entrance gates, there are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located 10 kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test, the test consists of an anything-goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls."

"Both of them?" asked Tatsu.

"Yes. You'll be fighting to get both a Heaven scroll and an Earth scroll. All together, 26 teams will be taking part in this test, so half of those teams will be going after the Heaven scroll and the other half will be trying to get the Earth scroll. I'll hand over one kind of scroll to each team, and that's what you'll be vying for."

"So how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire squad must bring a Heaven and Earth scroll to the tower."

"So at least half of the teams here will fail."

"No one ever said it would be easy. Oh and one more thing, the test has a time limit. You must finish it within 5 days."

"Just asking for others, what're we supposed to do for food?"

"Just look around, the forest is full of things to eat. There's plenty to feed all of you."

"Yeah but that's not all the forest has plenty of, there are plenty of beasts and poisonous plants in there. With these circumstances, there's no way half the teams will make it. And since we're completely surrounded by enemies. There won't be any time to rest, we'll have to keep a constant watch."

"Right, this test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test, and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge. There are also some ways you can get disqualified. The first is simple, if all 3 members of a team can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after 5 days. #2, if a team loses a member of if a member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue. But most important, absolutely none of you may look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower. There are times when a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents, the scroll is to test your integrity. Okay we're done, each team take your consent form and exchange them over there for your scrolls. After that, each team pick a gate and will be led inside. Oh, and I have one more word of advice: Just don't die."

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After signing his form, Tatsu watched as a curtain was hung over the stand where the scrolls were given out ' _So that's it, we won't know which team has which scroll and we won't know which team member is carrying the scroll. Stealing information is really a matter of life and death. It's just like Ibiki said, everyone is equally determined to pass and all of them are our enemies.'_

Anko watched and smirked ' _It looks like they're starting to understand what's really involved in this test.'_

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Soon everyone had handed their consent forms and received a scroll.

Naruto smirked as he took one ' _We are so gonna win this!'_

Tatsu sighed ' _If only they weren't so arrogant.'_

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"Listen up!" Anko called "All the teams had received their scrolls, so everyone go to your gate and wait there. When the gates open, the test is on!"

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Tatsu, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were stationed at Gate 12 "Alright guys, just be sure to be cautious."

Sakura scoffed "Shut up loser, who put you in charge?"

"Anyone with a brain." the guys chorused simultaneously.

Soon one of the proctors unchained the gate "It's time."

"Right!" and they ran inside.

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Ino's team was being stalked by a group of Hidden Rain ninja, who were promptly attacked by a pack of leeches.

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Tatsu quickly stopped his team "I guess someone found the leeches?"

"What leeches?" asked Naruto.

"They sense body temperature and movement and drop down from above in groups, if they suck your blood for a full 5 minutes you're screwed."

"...Good to know. Alright, be right back."

"Where're you going?"

"Take a leak."

"Go do it somewhere else!" Sakura screeched.

"Can you say that again, I don't think the other 20 teams that want to kill us heard you!" and he walked off into the bushes.

"Worthless asshole."

"Oh shut up Sakura, like you're one to talk." Tatsu and Sasuke chorused simultaneously.

 _Naruto_ came back after a few minutes "Oh man, that was a lot. I wrote my whole name-"

Tatsu cut him off by slugging him in the gut and pinning him to the ground "Not bad, but you're missing a couple of things. Naruto can't piss that much to save his life, I speak from experience, and Naruto isn't left-handed. Also, there's no cut on your cheek. Who are you?"

 _Naruto_ broke free and disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing a Hidden Rain ninja by the name of Oboro "Alright you got me, so what? I'm still gonna take your scroll, now hand it over or else."

Tatsu just drew the new sword Asuma and Hayate gave him to make up for losing the other one in the fight with Zabuza.

"So which one of you has it?" no response "Fine then, I guess I'll just have to take all of you out first!" and he charged.

" **Fire Style: Crimson Moon Dance!"** Tatsu summoned 2 Shadow Clones and all charged with their swords drawn.

Oboro fired 2 kunai, dispelling the clones "Sorry, but this is one test you won't be coming back from!" he fired another kunai with a paper bomb, sending Tatsu tumbling back, only for him to disappear in a puff of smoke "Another clone?!"

"Take this!" Tatsu slashed him down the back from behind, leaving serious burn marks running down his back, then looked down to the others "Naruto! Sasuke! Chances are this guy isn't alone, the others could strike any second now!"

"I wish, I came alone as not to arouse suspicion." Oboro told them "Big mistake…" and he limped off into the trees.

"Well so much for that guy, for now anyway." then he leapt back down and huddled the others into a small group "That little incident proved that we can't just trust appearances, we've gotta come up with a way of knowing each of us is who we say we are instead of some imposter with a transformation."

"What's your plan?" asked Sasuke.

"I was thinking along the lines of a secret password known only to the 4 of us and don't trust anyone who doesn't know it. I'm only gonna say this once, so listen closely. The question is "When does a ninja strike?" the answer will be "A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike." Got it?"

Sasuke nodded "Got it."

"Good. Naruto?"

"You've got one a little shorter?" asked Naruto.

"It'll work out I promise, I actually picked that password with you in mind."

"Yeah but I thought it was gonna be a password, not a pass-speech."

"Good. Now then, I think Sakura should take the scroll."

They shared a look "Wha-?"

"Because she's the weakest out of all of us and doesn't stand out, that way nobody will expect her to have it."

"Wait a minute-" Naruto was cut off when he felt something cut him "What was that?"

Tatsu blitzed in front of them as a massive gust of wind hit them "Brace yourselves!"

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It was actually a Hidden Grass ninja named Shiore and her teammates "Alright, you two fan out into the woods and keep your eyes open. I'll handle this alone."

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Sasuke found himself hiding alone in a bush ' _Dammit, whatever that blast was it separated all of us.'_

"Sasuke."

He suddenly bolted out and pulled out a kunai, only to see Sakura there "Sakura."

"Sasuke, what was that?"

"Don't move, answer the question first. When does a ninja strike?"

"Oh right. A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike."

"Good, it's really you."

"Hey!" then Naruto came over "You guys okay?"

"Don't come any closer. What's the password? When does a ninja strike?"

"Okay, a ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike."

Sasuke quickly fired a kunai.

 _Naruto_ quickly ducked out of the way "What was that?! You could've killed me."

"Now I get what Tatsu's plan was, and I've gotta admit it was pretty genius all things considered. He designed that password so that there was no chance of Naruto getting it right, that way we'd know for sure that it was the real one. You'd have a better chance teaching that password to a hamster. Or Sakura. Besides, the way you dodged that attack was definitely not a Naruto-style move. Alright come on out already whoever you are, party's over."

 _Naruto_ let out an unsettling chuckle "Well aren't we the clever one?" _he_ disappeared, revealing Shiore in his place "Tell me, if your teammate is really that dimwitted then why would your other teammate come up with a password he'd never be able to remember?"

"Tatsu didn't make if specifically for Naruto, rather for anyone nearby who was trying to eavesdrop on us. Tatsu clearly meant it as a trap, a trap you stumbled right into."

"Impressive, you and that other one certainly haven't dropped your guard have you? This promises to be very entertaining."

' _The real question is, where are Naruto and Tatsu right now?'_

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Naruto was lying against a tree, completely fried "Ow…"

Tatsu got him on his feet and slapped him out of his stupor "Get up stupid, we got separated from Sasuke and now he's alone with Sakura somewhere."

"Oh shit." then he saw a gigantic snake hovering over them "Oh shit."

"Move!" he grabbed Naruto and got him out of the way as the snake lunged, only for them to be swallowed by it after being caught off guard "Crap! I blame you for this!"

"How is this my fault?!"

"Because every time I'm around you alone when Sasuke isn't here, my life turns into a running gag!"

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Shiore pulled out an Earth Scroll "You'd love to get your hands on our Earth Scroll wouldn't you? It would go so nicely with your Heaven Scroll." using her long snake-like tongue, she swallowed it whole "Well when this is all over, one of us will have both scrolls and the other will be dead." she then cast a genjutsu, showing Sasuke and Sakura their own deaths, paralyzing them.

Sasuke was left extremely freaked out ' _Is this an illusion?'_ he coughed up blood and vomit before falling to his knees ' _No, it's more than that. Her thirst for blood is almost palpable. Looking in her eyes, I saw the moment of my own death. Who is she? More importantly, what is she?_ S-Sakura…" no response ' _Should've guessed, she's got it worse than me. We've gotta get out of here… get away from her… She's death…'_

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"Let us out of here!" Naruto repeatedly punched the walls of the snake's stomach.

"Naruto, shut up." Tatsu ordered bluntly "I'm gonna try something to get us out of here, I was hoping to save it for later but oh well. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed a clone "Let's make this quick, we've only got one shot before we're digested."

"Right." the clone gathered chakra into the original's hand.

Naruto froze ' _What's that jutsu? I can feel it's sheer power from here. Is it his Tenseigan? No, it's something different.'_

" **Rasengan!"** Tatsu, the original, fired a Rasengan at the walls of the snake's stomach, resulting in a gorey explosion that scattered the guts and slime all over the forest "Well that was a lot more revolting than I wanted it to be."

"Tatsu, what was that jutsu?"

"Something I learned from Kakashi specifically for the exam. I'll teach it to you later, but for now we need to find Sasuke and Sakura."

"Right."

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Sasuke was internally struggling ' _What's wrong with me? Move… come on, move! That's it, you can do this…'_ he grabbed a tanto Tatsu gave him from his pouch ' _There! Now Tatsu said something was special about this tanto, but what? Well no time to worry about it, for now focus on surviving.'_ he slowly made his way to his feet ' _That's right… come on… even if it's just a little, you've gotta move.'_

Shiore smirked "Very good, now what happens?"

Sasuke suddenly froze again ' _It's no use… I can't move…'_

"Don't worry I'll make it quick, but I don't have to tell you that do I?" Shiore drew two kunai and slowly waltzed forward "You've seen it with your own eyes. I expected you to be more of a challenge, how disappointing." she flung each kunai at one of them.

' _Is this really it? Is this how it ends? Old Man Hokage… Kakashi… Naruto… Tatsu… especially Tatsu… after I lost my clan and he lost his brother, he was always there for me. Naruto was always jealous of me and how I had an army of fangirls constantly bugging me, even though I would've given any of them to him in a heartbeat… Still, we had our moments, like when we worked together with Tatsu to free Kakashi the first time we fought Zabuza. In a way, we were probably good for each other, always competing, pushing each other on every challenge, and I nearly sacrificed myself to save him… and I told him not to let his dream die… No! I can't give up like this! If I give up against someone like this, how could I hope to defeat Itachi?'_ he suddenly deflected both kunai with his tanto, chakra radiating from the blade ' _So that's what's special about this blade. Well then…_ **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder Slash!"** he channeled the Purple Thunder chakra through his blade and slashed, using it as a cover so he could grab Sakura and escape.

Shiore made no attempts to stop him ' _So that's how it is. Rather desperate, but clever. He let the discharge of chakra allow him to overcome the fear, so this prey is not so helpless after all.'_

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Sasuke put away his tanto away and put a hand over Sakura's mouth ' _Gotta move… gotta get away from her… but how? Where?'_

Sakura had been freaking out until she finally got Sasuke's hand off "Sasuke, behind us!"

Sasuke looked at the giant snake behind them, and they just barely got out of the way "This is unbelievable, I didn't even notice. I'm losing it!" he saw a shadow of Shiore on top of the snake and nearly lost it "STAY BACK!" he frantically fired a barrage of shuriken, killing the snake instantly, the corpse leaking blood.

Then the skin cracked open, and Shiore emerged from it "I sense your fear and desperation."

Sasuke's Sharingan flared into life.

"It's only natural, the prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment, in the presence of its predator." she wrapped her extending snake-like body around a tree, her snake-like tongue sticking out of her mouth.

Sasuke let out a fearful yelp and was about to unleash Purple Thunder, when…

" **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"** a blast of wind severed the branch in two "Looks like we showed up just in time.

Sasuke looked to where the blast came from and breathed a sigh of relief "Tatsu… Naruto… you're here…"

Naruto smirked "And by the way, what was that password again?"

"Good, you're both here. Let's team up and-"

"Change of plans." Tatsu cut him off by chopping him on the neck, knocking him out "Sorry about this Sasuke, but we can't let you find out Naruto's secret, at least not yet."

Shiore smirked "So you two managed to escape from my friend, well done."

' _I figured there was no way for that to be a random giant snake attack, but this chakra feels so foul and impure… no, it couldn't be… could it?'_

"I don't know what's going on but you've been picking on my teammates and I don't like that so just slither on back into your hole before we make a pair of shoes out of you!" Naruto barked.

' _Idiot! He's just gonna get us killed! I'll have to use my Tenseigan Chakra Mode, but it takes time to build up that much chakra.'_ he looked over to Shiore "Tell me, what's your purpose here?"

"What makes you think I have one?" asked Shiore.

"You're obviously skilled. You could've easily killed Sasuke and Sakura, then taken the scroll and fled. You've been toying with them until now."

"Well aren't you the clever one? Yes, I could've ended this little game any time I wanted but I merely wanted to see what the last Uchiha was capable of. I wasn't impressed. Perhaps you'd be willing to entertain me?" Shiore shot forward and sent both Tatsu and Naruto rocketing to the ground, only for them to dispel "Shadow Clones?"

"Nice technique, huh?" Naruto appeared and slugged Shiore in the face, sending her flying into a tree ' _Tatsu you'd better make it fast, I don't know how long I can hold her for.'_ then he looked over to Sakura "Aren't you going to help me?"

"We need to get out of here Naruto, she'll pick us apart!" Sakura yelled.

"We need to slow her down first, she's no genin and even all of us together won't last long. We've gotta buy time for Tatsu to use whatever he's got planned, then we can escape."

"We should just give up our scroll and run."

"Weren't you listening before? She could've ended this in less than a minute if she wanted. If we're gonna survive, you're gonna have to pull your weight." and he charged " **Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed 30 clones ' _I've only seen this a few times and haven't gotten any practice with it, but it's now or never._ **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** each clone fired a fireball into the air, turning it into one massive ball of flames, and the original leapt above it " **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** he fired it into the ball of flames, greatly increasing the size and sending it downwards.

"Forget it, just because you two are too stupid to know when to quit doesn't mean Sasuke has to be killed because of it! If you guys are gonna be like this, then the least you can do is cover our escape!" and she took the unconscious Sasuke and took off.

"What the hell? Sakura, where're you going?"

Tatsu was pissed at this ' _That little bitch took Sasuke and bailed on us! She's so gonna pay when this is over!'_

"I see." Shiore got their attention, appearing heavily scorched, and bound Naruto with her tongue, causing the clones to disappear "When your anger is roused, some of the Kyuubi's chakra is released." her fingers glowed with purple flames "What an interesting childhood you must've had, and an impressive plan too. If you'd been a few seconds faster I wouldn't have been able to substitute with a mud clone." her tongue lifted up his shirt "The spells that seals it within you has appeared on your skin. **5-Pronged Seal!"** she slammed her fingers onto the sealing formula, causing it to glow purple and Naruto to black out ' _For 12 years the seal has remained unbroken, soon the demon's chakra and the boy's will be as one. But for now, he's just in my way.'_

"Hey!" Tatsu suddenly appeared with a cyan-coloured Rasengan in his hand and pinned Naruto's unconscious form to a tree with a kunai ' _Now the power of my Tenseigan Chakra Cloak has been transferred into my Rasengan, giving it one hell of a power boost._ **Tensei-Rasengan!"** he slammed it into Shiore's torso, sending her flying through several trees, the remains of which were then torn out of the ground by the backlash resulting from the attack, Tatsu himself nearly being blown off his feet ' _Dammit… at least I know that the whole power corruption thing is negated by using the Tenseigan chakra in short bursts.'_ he went over to Naruto and took him onto his back "Come on buddy, let's get moving before she comes back."

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Outside the forest, Anko learned of 3 faceless corpses found near the exam, one of them being the real Shiore.

The disturbing part to Anko was that she recognized the technique used.

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They didn't realize they were being watched.

"Unbelievable." Kin muttered "He actually defeated Lord Orochimaru, even if he was holding back severely."

"He's not someone to mess with." Dosu agreed "Don't forget that we were ordered to go after Sasuke, if we're going to carry out the order then we'd better do it before Tatsu and the blonde regroup with them."

"Right."

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Anko eventually found Orochimaru, her former teacher, and tried to kill him with little success, learning in the process that Sasuke was his target.

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"The other teams will be calling it a day soon." Neji noted "And that means that it's time to strike. You know the plan, we split up and fan out. Whatever happens, whether we make contact with another team or not, we meet up back here in this spot." he marked the spot on the ground with a kunai "Got it?"

Lee nodded, with Tenten doing the same "Right."

"Alright then, let's move."

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Sakura looked over the unconscious Sasuke ' _At least he's breathing easy, but he's used up a lot of chakra. Looks like it's up to me for the time being.'_

She'd have to pull her weight.

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Anko was trying to take care of the wounds she'd received from Orochimaru, but knew she had to tell Sarutobi right away.

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Dosu and his team watched Sakura tending to Sasuke from afar "There they are. Remember Orochimaru's orders, we strike at daybreak. And don't forget, the Uchiha is our target."

"Yeah, but if the girl gets in our way it's okay to take her out right?" asked Zaku.

"The girl yes, but if Tatsu and the blonde show up then pull out. Considering what he did, even if Lord Orochimaru was going easy it's still not something we could take on and survive. If they show up then we retreat, end of discussion."

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Naruto finally regained consciousness "Wha-?"

"Good, you're awake."

Naruto looked to see Tatsu holding a big net full of fish "Tatsu? What happened? Last thing I remember we were fighting that Hidden Grass ninja."

Tatsu looked at him, his eyes deadly serious "Naruto, that was no Hidden Grass ninja. That was one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru. He's an S-rank rogue ninja. From what I sense, that seal he put on you prevents you from using any of Kurama's chakra."

"Dammit!"

"So let's go over this. I'm almost completely spent after hitting Orochimaru with a Tenseigan-powered Rasengan, your access to Kurama's chakra is sealed off, Sasuke's out cold, Sakura abandoned us and took Sasuke to god knows where, and it's only been 2 days. Yeah, I'd say we're f*cked. You got any ideas?"

"I've got a ton of scrolls in my bag, we could change one of these to look exactly like the Earth Scroll we need."

"No way, forget it. Even if you could fake the outside, how do you fake the contents inside? You couldn't know without reading and it's against the rules. Besides, don't forget that Sakura has our Heaven Scroll."

"I've got that figured out, I think these things have a secret code written in them that only makes sense when you put them both together, and that secret code is like the password you need to get into the tower at the end of the exam. Get it?"

"I get that you're doing what I never told you to do. Thinking. Besides, we're not faking the scrolls, we're not looking, we're sticking to the rules, end of story."

"That's the right train of thought here." a voice cut in "Opening the scroll is a really bad idea."

Tatsu and Naruto both looked to see Kabuto sitting beside them munching on a fish "Kabuto."

"You had me worried there, but I guess I should've had more faith in the son of the Leaf's Crimson Wolf and the Silver Claw's younger brother. There have been others who've broken the rules and tried to read the scrolls, I've seen what happens. They're protected by a powerful Hypnosis Jutsu, a kind of booby trap for anyone unwise enough to try and read them. It'll knock you senseless, and by the time you wake up the exam is over."

"Thanks for the heads up Kabuto. By the way, what're you doing wandering around all by yourself?"

"Don't worry, I'm not after your scroll."

"Even if you were, we don't have it."

"I know, I'd been watching you guys go up against that Grass ninja and decided to help you out."

"So you're looking for an Earth Scroll too?"

"Actually, I already have them both." Kabuto held them up "I had a run of luck, I was just on my way to the tower to wait for my teammates to show up. So if you'll excuse me." he started walking off.

"Wait a second. Sorry to cut to the chase here, but what would you say if I offered to fight you for your Earth Scroll? Nothing personal, but we don't have time to waist. For all we know, by this point Sakura might've gotten Sasuke killed. Out here it's all about survival."

Kabuto pushed up his glasses and smirked "You're lying."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Come on, admit it. For all your tough talk, your heart really isn't in it. If it was true, if winning was really the only thing that mattered to you, why openly challenge me to a fight? Why announce it and put me on my guard? Why not just jump me when my back is turned? After all, that's what a ninja would do."

"I see. You're pretty sharp."

"It's okay, actually I admire you for it. So here's what I'll do, I'll show you the path you should follow. Now let's go, it's best we get out of here before blondie's BO draws the attention of every wild animal in the forest, and not only animals but the competition too." he subtly looked back, but saw nothing, and smirked."

"Lead the way."

"Gladly." so Kabuto took to the trees, with Tatsu and Naruto following.

"So there are still plenty of candidates out there? Stupid question, it's only the 3rd day."

"Exactly. Just think about it. What do you think is the most efficient way of finding the scrolls in an area as large as this? To go searching through the forest for them? No, you wait for them to come to you. The tower at the center of the forest is the goal, right? So the closer to the end of the exam you are, the more teams the area will be crawling with, verging on the tower with their scrolls."

"Like an ambush, so we just head for the tower and find a hiding place so that when a team comes along with an Earth Scroll, we can jump them and take it, and then go track down Sasuke and Sakura."

"That's ⅓ of the problem."

"We're not the only ones thinking of this?"

"Of course not. Every other team without a scroll will be lying in wait, just like you."

"So we basically find a team, punch them out, keep them from getting what they think will be our scrolls, and then go track down the rest of our team."

"That's ⅔ of the problem. There's bound to be some collectors lurking around at the finish line."

"You mean the pricks who try to gather as many scrolls as they can to get as many teams out as possible."

"Exactly, along with various other things. They'll be there alright, and they're bad news. The closer you get to the tower, the more likely you'll be to run into them."

"And you brought us along because you're scared, right?"

"You bet I am. Wait." he stopped them when the tower was in view "There it is, now comes the hard part."

"Well it's about time!" Naruto blurted out "Bring it on!"

"Quiet." Tatsu hissed "There's someone back there."

Naruto hurled a kunai, only to strike a gigantic centipede "Damn, this place is full of scary stuff."

"Hey Naruto." Kabuto spoke up "Do us a favor and try to keep it down to a dull roar will you?"

"Huh?"

"See the whole idea is not to let anyone know we're here, if you go crashing through here like an elephant you're going to draw collectors like flies. We wanna find them before they find us."

"Oh yeah, I see your point."

"Take it slow and quiet, let's use all the time we've got left."

Tatsu nodded "Agreed."

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Naruto quickly found himself tangled "Dammit, how long have we been doing this?!"

"20 minutes." Tatsu said dryly.

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Once Naruto was free, Kabuto checked his compass "Okay, we're getting closer."

"Pretty close by the look of it." Tatsu looked up and saw 3 corpses in the trees above them, impaled with all sorts of kunai "I guess a couple of idiots fell into a trap."

"Yeah, and it only gets worse from here on in."

"Shit!" that was when Naruto triggered a trap, sending a bunch of kunai hurtling towards him.

"Look out!" Kabuto pushed him out of the way, then saved himself from being impaled using a Substitution Jutsu "Well that was close."

"A Substitution Jutsu."

"Like I told you, it only gets worse from here on in."

Then Tatsu noticed something off "Hang on, is it just me or is the tower not getting any closer?"

Naruto blinked "Now that you mention it, I was thinking that too. It's weird."

"Maybe not. We must've been spotted, someone's playing games with us."

"Looks like it." Kabuto pointed "Ring a bell?"

Naruto looked and the saw the centipede he'd killed before "Hey, what's the big idea?"

"Genjutsu." Tatsu guessed.

Kabuto nodded "That's what it looks like, and we completely fell for it. We were so concerned with not being seen by anyone that we didn't notice that we were walking around in circles."

"You think they're trying to wear us down and strike when we're frustrated and exhausted, like we are now."

"Right. They'll be coming soon." Kabuto looked back.

Then a number of black-cloaked ninja with blindfolds appeared from the trees, courtesy of Oboro and his team, hiding from the shadows.

"Well Naruto, you did say you wanted a fight." Tatsu noted "How does 3 against 30 sound?"

Naruto smirked "I like those odds."

"They're clones from the look of it, and a whole lot of them."

The clones chuckled "Like cornered rats "

"Oh yeah? Cornered rats, are we?" Naruto thursted a fist and slammed it into the clone's gut, only to phase through them in a gooey mess "What the-?"

The clone then grew a second head, along with a kunai.

"I just touched him and he turned to mush."

The clone cut itself free, leaving a second upper body attached to the legs, and flung a kunai.

Tatsu was about to dodge, but stumbled, feeling the after-effects from using the Tensei-Rasengan catch up to him ' _Damn, my chakra-!'_

"Get down!" Kabuto pushed him to the ground, being cut in the process.

' _My chakra hasn't recovered from using that attack on Orochimaru, I've gotta be careful how I use it until I can meditate to gather it all back.'_

Kabuto examined the kunai ' _It's obvious this thing is real enough, no illusion here.'_

"Kabuto, the fact that you're wounded and bleeding means that these are real Shadow Clones. But they're supposed to vanish when you hit them." Naruto pointed out "These things don't, so what the hell are we dealing with? Some kind of genjutsu?"

"Surrender your scroll." all of the clones kept repeating over and over.

Naruto whipped out a kunai "Like hell we will!"

"Don't!" Tatsu cut him off sharply "You'll only be fighting illusions, it's definitely genjutsu."

"But how? That gash on Kabuto's arm is real enough."

Kabuto nodded "That's true, but Tatsu's right. It could be that the real enemy is hiding somewhere in the woods nearby, watching real attacks from behind a smoke screen and illusions, and coordinating their movements with them so that we're fooled into thinking these genjutsu shinobi are the ones attacking us."

"Well whatever they are what're we gonna do, just stand here? Let's go find these clowns and take care of them!"

"Hold on Naruto, they'd like nothing better than for us to go searching blindly through the forest while they sit back and take us out one by one. We'd be making their job easy for them. I know this kind of attack, the kind who use it do so because they are weak in taijutsu and afraid of close hand-to-hand combat, according to my data. We've no choice, all we can do is hold our ground and fend off their attacks."

"Okay fine, whatever. Let's just do it." he began dodging kunai from the clones, only to soon get bored with the plan "Okay, this isn't gonna work." he formed the hand sign for Shadow Clones.

"No, it's pointless. You'll only waste your chakra, by trying to fight these things you'll be doing just what they want."

"If we were to eliminate all the illusions then whoever's casting them wouldn't be able to hurl kunai at us without us being able to see where they're hiding. I'll show them 2 can play at this game. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned a barrage of Shadow Clones and began attacking the illusion clones left and right, but they just kept reforming "Back for more huh? Well okay then!" he charged in unfazed.

Tatsu let out a sigh "Idiot, he's given us no choice now. We've gotta now."

"You're right." Kabuto whipped out a kunai "He's gonna need us so that's that, we fight!"

"Kabuto take the right, I'll take the left!" Tatsu drew his sword and charged, slashing through clone after clone until daybreak.

By that point, Kabuto had slumped against a tree "That's it… I'm out…"

Naruto got beaten back, but came back for more "I'm just warming up!"

That was when Oboro's comrade Mubi stepped out "Sun's coming up, time to move in for the kill."

The last of the team, Kagari, nodded "I think you're right Mubi. We've crushed their spirits, now all that's left is their bodies."

Then Oboro glared at Tatsu "You! I know you, you're the one who burned my back. That really messed me up you know. Oh well, now I can finally pay you back with interest." then his eyes shot wide.

"Well well, now who's the cornered rat?" a voice rang through the air "Looks like Naruto's plan worked like a charm." then Tatsu appeared behind team Oboro, with Kabuto right next to him.

"What? It can't be, if they're over here then who are they?"

"Confused? Sorry, but it was the only way to get you guys to come out of hiding." Naruto then formed a hand seal, dispelling the transformations on the Shadow Clones next to him.

"How? Don't tell me, that little brat- It's not possible!"

"The Shadow Clones were only the first part of it, my real trick was coming up with clones for the others. While the doubles did all the fighting and took the beating, they were safe and sound waiting for you to show yourselves." then he fell to one knee.

"Naruto, take a break." Tatsu told him "You've earned it, Kabuto and I will take it from here."

"Like hell!" Naruto slugged Mubi in the face, sending him crashing into Kagari and Oboro and sending all three crashing to the ground "After all the work I've done, there's no way I'm gonna stand back and let you have all the fun."

Mubi was in a stupor "This kid shouldn't be able to move, let alone this."

Oboro was more confident as he and his teammates formed hand signs "Not bad, but that doesn't mean it's over. We're still feeling lucky. And besides, time's running out for all of us so we'll just have to take the gloves off and show you our ninjutsu. **Ninja Art: Fog Clone Jutsu!"** they all formed an army of clones.

"Shadow Clones?"

"They're real clones." Tatsu told him "Don't waste your strength, let them make the first move."

"If these are clones then the real ones are in there with them, all I've gotta do is smash my way through them until I find the ones that squeal. Just stay out of it, I can handle this!" and he charged forward.

"Not again." Kabuto charged in after him.

Tatsu almost did, but stopped ' _My chakra is almost completely drained.'_

"Take this!" Naruto charged through clone, but only phased through them ' _So those are all clones.'_

Kabuto leapt into the fray "Naruto stop!"

' _Gotta… try…'_ Tatsu attempted to sense out the originals.

"Naruto!" Kabuto pushed Naruto out of the way of Oboro's attack, getting his leg cut in the process.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Naruto.

"Ow…"

Naruto glared at the clones "Now you're gonna pay!"

"Forget it." Tatsu stopped "You can swing at them all day, you're just wasting your time and chakra on them. The real ones aren't there."

"What're you talking about? That last attack didn't come from any clone! Of course the real ones are here, they've gotta be here. If they're not then when the hell are they?"

"Use your head, if I knew that then we wouldn't be in this mess."

' _I'm exhausted, I can't even use any more Shadow Clones.'_

"Looks like they've reached the end of their rope. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted." that was when Oboro charged in.

Then Tatsu noticed them emerge from the ground behind Naruto ' _That's it, they hide with Earth Style and attack while we're distracted by their clones!'_

Naruto watched in horror as Kabuto was slashed by an attack from Oboro "Kabuto no!"

Kabuto fell to the ground and glared as the Hidden Rain ninja and glared at them through his bloodshot eyes, making them back up slightly.

"This ends now!" Naruto sent them all flying with one kick, sending them all flying and causing the clones to dispel "Like you said, never give your enemy an opening."

Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief "Thank you Naruto, you saved my neck."

"Nice work." Tatsu limped over, panting heavily, then tied up the Hidden Rain ninja and checked for a scroll "Hey Naruto, they've got a ton of scrolls over here. 3 Earth and 3 Heaven each, so as long as Sasuke and Sakura didn't do anything stupid we'll be fine."

"Good for you, now let's head over to the tower."

"You go ahead, we've gotta go find our teammates. Thanks Kabuto, and good luck. See you later." Naruto slung Tatsu's arm over his shoulder and leapt off "Let's just hope Sakura didn't get them killed."

Tatsu said nothing ' _There's something about Kabuto, something I don't like. Still though, whatever the reasons might be he did help us and we have other things to worry about right now. I'll deal with that later, for now we should find the others.'_

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Now let's see how things are going on the other end.

Sakura opened her eyes to find sunlight ' _It's morning. Oh crap, I fell asleep! And Sasuke's still out cold. I can't believe it's daytime already.'_ then she heard a rustling coming from the bushes behind her ' _Oh no!'_ she fearfully grabbed a kunai and slowly looked behind her, only to see that it was just a squirrel ' _A squirrel?_ Oh man, don't surprise me like that little guy." then she yelped and threw a kunai, scaring the squirrel off ' _That was too close.'_ she hadn't noticed the paper bomb on the squirrel's back.

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Lee was making his way through the forest when he saw the same squirrel "What the-?" he then rushed in and pulled it off, then destroyed it "That was close. This paper bomb explodes after a certain amount of time, who would do something like that?"

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"Some lookout, you're half asleep."

Sakura was snapped out of her daze and looked to see Dosu and his squad ' _Crap…'_

"At least you don't have to keep watch anymore, what's the point after we've already found you? Now wake Sasuke up, we want to fight him."

' _You'll never get him you jerks.'_ Sakura reached for a kunai "What do you want here, I mean what do you really want? I know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows. Why is he after Sasuke, you know don't you? And now you wanna fight him when he can't defend himself?"

"See, if your other two teammates were with you then this wouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah but… they abandoned us during the fight with Orochimaru!"

"Don't lie girl, we saw what you did."

Zaku was a little more cocky "I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that after what you pulled. First I'm gonna kill this girl, and then I'm gonna kill Sasuke."

"Hold up Zaku." Dosu put a hand on the ground "It's so obvious, this is the color of dirt that's recently been dug up and this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this. You know pinky, if you're going to lay a trap then at least make sure it's actually hidden."

"You're just a joke, you threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set."

"Now we kill her, frankly we'd be doing the Uchiha a favor." Dosu charged first, but saw a log swinging at them ' _So she set a trap from above?'_ he placed a hand on it "Nice try." he formed a hand seal, shattering the log "Clearly you have no talent as a ninja, someone like you needs to know more about effort and loyalty."

" **Leaf Hurricane!"** Lee suddenly showed up, squirrel on his shoulder, and quickly kicked them all away "Looks like you also need to make more of an effort."

"Who are you?"

"I'm known as the Leaf's Green Beast, but you can call me Rock Lee. This is really all thanks to you little one, but now it's time for you to run along." he let the squirrel down gently "Before we do this, there's something I want to know. Bandaged one, you said before that she abandoned her teammates. What did you mean?"

"Well her teammates, Tatsu Kamikaze and that blonde one, were fighting an enemy ninja, the Uchiha was out cold at the time, and she took the Uchiha and abandoned the other two, something about letting them cover their escape."

"Is that right?"

Sakura paled "Lee, don't listen to them. Who would you believe, a bunch of outsiders or your rival's teammate?"

"Firstly, Tatsu has a clear distaste for you and from what I see it's clearly justified. Secondly, insulting them solely for being from another village is nothing more than unnecessary discrimination." he turned back to Dosu "I may not like her, but she's still my rival's teammate so I'll protect her no matter what."

"Zaku, I'll let you have Sasuke." Dosu pulled out his Earth Scroll and threw it back "I'll take care of this one."

' _From the look of it, she's in no condition to fight.'_

"The one with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good at taijutsu, it looks like I'll get to have some fun." Dosu charged.

Lee pulled a large branch up from underground to block Dosu's attack "There's some kind of trick to your attack, so I won't waste my time trying to dodge it. After all, I've seen your jutsu before and based on where you're from I'd have to assume it's sound related. _Of course, even saying that, 3 on 1 aren't good odds for me. I'm gonna have to take a chance. I'll go all out against them one at a time. I'd better not take a chance, I should take them off.'_ he leapt onto a tree trunk "I can tell you're all strong, so I'll have to go all out." he pulled down his leg warmers, revealing weights around his ankles, which he promptly removed.

' _Leg weights? Basic training equipment.;_

Lee held up the weights from each leg, then promptly dropped them.

' _Come on, you really think it'll make that much of a difference just by dropping a couple of pounds of weight?'_

The weights crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

' _...I stand corrected.'_

Lee leapt back to the ground and began unravelling the bandages on his hands ' _Sorry Guy-sensei, but I'll have to use the Lotus if I want a chance at winning.'_

Dosu charged.

"This is it!" Lee suddenly blitzed forward and kicked Dosu into the air, then wrapped his bandages around Dosu's body " **Primary Lotus!"** he pile-drived him, sending him spiralling downwards.

"Oh no Dosu, there's no way he can break his fall." Zaku formed several hand seals and used his Slicing Sound Wave in an attempt to cushion the impact of the fall.

' _So that's it, he's trying to use those air cannons in his arms to cushion the impact of the fall for his teammate. Good try, but I know how to avoid that!'_ instead of pile-driving Dosu directly into the ground, he pulled Dosu into the air with the bandages wrapped around him, and hit him with a sharp kick to the stomach, sending him hurtling towards the ground.

"Dosu!" Zaku attempted yet again to use his Slicing Sound Waves.

"No you don't!" Lee drew a chain wind staff and hurled the chain at Zaku, wrapping it around him and preventing him from cushioning the impact of the fall, with Dosu hitting the ground very hard soon after.

"D-Dammit…" Dosu slowly emerged from the ground "That's a… frightening jutsu… almost killed me… you're more than I expected…"

"You're more resilient than I gave you credit for, the Lotus isn't something many people can walk away from. Before we continue this battle…" he looked over to the bushes ' _Chances are I could win if they help me, but maybe it'd be best for them to wait in the bushes and make a surprise attack when they find an opening.'_

"Say so long freak!" Zaku prepared another Slicing Sound Wave blast.

"Wanna bet?" that was when Ino showed up, with Choji and Shikamaru by her side.

"So what's this, the second string?"

Lee stared intently at him "You're…"

"Hey." Ino gave a small smirk "Tatsu goes on about you all the time, and after seeing you in action I decided that I'm impressed. You did good, but the guys can't have all the credit. It's time to show some girl power."

"This doesn't concern you." Dosu told her calmly "If you don't want to get hurt I suggest you back out now."

Choji nearly lost his shit when he saw Dosu glaring at them "Are you two crazy, what're we doing here? These guys are bad news man!"

"Don't look at me, it was Ino's idea." Shikamaru pointed out "But what're we supposed to do, just sit back and let some bushy-browed freak do all the fighting?"

Ino smirked "Sorry to drag you guys into this, but we're a 3-man squad right? All for 1, 1 for all."

"Yeah, what's meant to happen will."

"This ain't teamwork, I call this suicide!" Choji tried to run, only for Shikamaru to grab hold of the bandages on his arm "Let me out of here, please!"

"Quit it, you're getting on my nerves."

Zaku snickered "Better a live sheep than a dead lion, right fatass?"

Choji stopped cold and everyone else froze "Did I just hear that right? What did that guy just say?"

Shikamaru froze ' _Oh crap, he just pushed Choji's button bigtime.'_

"You wanna try saying that again?"

Zaku didn't get the memo "I said you're smart to get out while you still can, fatass."

Choji turned to face him and exploded "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT?! I'M JUST CHUBBY OKAY?!" he exploded with chakra radiating around him "CHUBBIES RULE!" he turned to his teammates "That does it, now this is personal! It's a fight to the death between Leaf and Sound!"

Ino smirked ' _Perfect, he's totally lost it.'_

"Good job dumbass." Shikamaru grumbled "Thanks a lot, now we've gotta live with him."

Zaku smirked "Don't worry, it won't be for long. _We've gotta get rid of these clowns, Sasuke's the target.'_

"Sakura." Ino addressed her without looking at her "Sasuke's down and Tatsu and Naruto are nowhere in sight. Look after Sasuke, we'll take it from here." then she turned her attention to her teammates "Alright Team 10, let's show them who's boss!"

"Got it!" they chorused.

"Formation Ino-Shika-Cho! Alright Choji, take it away."

"My pleasure! **Expansion Jutsu!"** Choji blew up like a balloon "Followed by Leaf-style taijutsu: **Human Boulder!"** he rolled forward in a rage.

"You've gotta be kidding." Zaku muttered "I think I'm supposed to laugh myself to death. **Slicing Sound Wave!"** he unleashed a blast of air, stopping Choji in place.

That is, before Choji jumped the air stream.

' _This thing's spinning way too fast, my Sound Wave can't control it. And if I try going Super Sound on it, it's liable to rip my arms off!'_

"Zaku!" Dosu rushed over as fast as he could, which wasn't that fast considering how wounded he was by Lee's jutsu.

' _Oh no you don't mummy-man, time to put you under wraps._ **Shadow Possession Jutsu!"** that was when Shikamaru used his Shadow Possession Jutsu to stop Dosu in his tracks.

"What's happening?!"

"Just me and my shadow."

Zaku leapt out of the way just before being hit by Choji's Human Boulder.

Dosu found himself doing a ridiculous pose "Oh come on!"

"What is it? Why are you just standing there like that?" asked Kin.

"I'm why." Shikamaru had a big shit-eating grin.

"It's some kind of paralysis jutsu." Dosu realized.

"Ino, I'll leave the girl to you."

Ino nodded "I'm on it, just keep an eye on my body."

"Sure."

" **Mind Transfer Jutsu!"** Ino hit Kin with her Mind Transfer Jutsu.

"Enough of this!" Zaku finally had enough of dodging Choji's attack "Kin!"

"What's wrong with you?!" Dosu barked.

Kin, actually Ino's mind in Kin's body thanks to the Mind Transfer Jutsu, smirked and held a kunai to Kin's throat "Party's over fellas. Take it easy, one false move from either of you and your teammate here gets it in the neck. You don't want that to happen so here's what you do, just drop the scroll and walk away. When you're far enough away that I can't sense your chakra, I'll let her go. _I don't get these guys, something's wrong._ Hey Choji!"

"Coming!" Choji dropped down.

Zaku merely fired his Slicing Sound Wave, sending Kin-Ino flying into a tree.

Shikamaru noticed blood coming from Ino's mouth "This is bad."

Kin-Ino looked up from the ground "I don't understand you guys, what kind of monster would attack their own teammate?"

Zaku smirked "One who knows that our teammate would rather die than be controlled by someone."

"Besides, it's not the scrolls we're after or even passing this test. What we want is Sasuke back there- Where'd he go?" then Dosu found himself free "So your paralysis jutsu has a pretty limited duration I see."

"Shadow Possession Jutsu." Shikamaru corrected "Get your jutsu right."

"Whatever, and I see that your teammate was able to slip her soul into her opponent. Very clever, but dangerous. Anything that happens to Kin happens to her too. So if, say, Kin were to die…"

"What're you gonna do, kill your teammate?"

"In the name of her honor, then so be it."

"Oh man, what a drag."

Zaku smirked "Did you really think you could beat us? Face it, you ninja are just a bunch of hacks from a second-rate village."

"Pretty tough talk." Neji made himself known "I guess that makes your village third-rate. I wonder if any of you amateurs are ready to take on the real thing. Lee, you blew it."

Lee smirked bitterly "Sorry…"

"Don't be, you bought me the time I needed." a voice cut in.

"What the-?!" Dosu and Zaku turned to see Sasuke behind them ' _But something feels different about him.'_

"Thanks guys, you bought me the time I needed to put my plan into action. See, I knew I wouldn't be able to beat you guys with _those_ one, so I used Lee and the others showing as a chance to buy time so I could get them off. It feels good too, now I feel lighter than I have in ages. You guys did alright, but leave it to me from here on out."

"Ino!" Shikamaru called from the bushes frantically "Hurry up and get back in your body, you don't want to get involved in this. You too Choji, get everyone out of there!"

Ino quickly released the jutsu.

Dosu froze when he sensed Sasuke's chakra ' _This power… it's too big, too powerful… more than I anticipated.'_

Zaku didn't get the memo "What's wrong Dosu, you're not getting cold feet are you?"

"No Zaku, you don't understand!"

"Watch this, I'll take care of the whole bunch of them in one fell swoop! **Supersonic Slicing Wave!"** he unleashed an enhanced Slicing Sound Wave, leaving a long crater "What do you know, blew them all away."

"Not quite." Sasuke had gotten Lee and Sakura out of the way, and backhanded Zaku into a tree with one blow.

"Zaku!" Dosu looked up at Sasuke "Such power, and he doesn't even have a Curse Mark. How?"

"A training method Tatsu showed me awhile back, he gave me Gravity Seals to increase my physical strength and speed. I knew I couldn't beat you with them on, so I used the others fighting you to buy enough time for me to release them. But enough about that, let me show you what I can do. **Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"** he fired several small balls of fire.

"I don't think so! Try this!" Zaku fired another Slicing Sound Wave, causing the flames to disperse, revealing shuriken in their place, hitting Zaku all over his body.

Sasuke then kicked Zaku into the air Lee-style, then used Dancing Leaf Shadow to appear directly behind him "I kind of borrowed that move, but from this point on I'm getting points for originality! **Lion's Barrage!"** he used one hand to turn Zaku over, then landed a kick to the abdomen, followed by a punch to the chest, slamming him straight into the ground with a devastating kick to the stomach "It's over." then he turned to Dosu "I would go full man-slaughterer on you, but that's not really my style. So here's the deal, do you have a Heaven or Earth Scroll?"

"Earth Scroll." Dosu, trembling slightly, pointed to Zaku "He has it."

"Let's see here… porn, porn, porn, Sword Monthly…" he put that in his pocket "More porn, more porn, oh here we go, Earth Scroll." he pulled it out "So here's the deal, I'm gonna take this and in exchange you can take your friends and leave. Deal?"

"Deal. You're strong Sasuke, but Tatsu is much stronger."

"I already knew that, he's the one who's been training me."

"We can't hope to defeat you the way you are now. So it's a deal, you keep the scroll and you let us go."

"Agreed."

Dosu went over and slung Zaku over his shoulder "It would seem we underestimated you and your allies, but at least we found something else we needed." he picked up Kin "We're even for the moment, but I won't run next time."

"Before you go, what does Orochimaru want with me and why me? And what has he done with Tatsu and Naruto."

"I don't know, all I know is that we were told to target you and then Tatsu after you, and we did. But what I don't understand is why he would send us to assassinate someone whom he fully knew the capabilities of, and then plan to send us after someone who could take on Orochimaru himself."

"He probably used you guys to test me."

"Perhaps… but he's all we have, every one of us. We were always alone, but he gave us a place to belong. Without him, we'd all be alone…"

"Maybe you don't have to be… come find me after the next phase of the exam is over, we'll talk about it there."

"...Very well…" and with that, he departed.

Then Sakura went up to Sasuke "Hey Sasuke that was-"

"HEY!" a kunai whizzed past her face, cutting it slightly as a pissed off Naruto showed up with a pissed off Tatsu sung over his shoulder.

"Thanks, but I've got it from here." Tatus got back on his own feet, then grabbed Sakura by the neck "You little skank, you've got a lot of nerve! I should kill your ass for what you pulled back there! I knew you were a shitty fangirl, but this is a whole new low even for you! You took Sasuke and left me and Naruto to die!"

"Let me go!" Sakura shouted "We should've just given up the scroll like I said!"

"Use your head your f*cking little whore! That Hidden Grass kunoichi was the Sannin Orochimaru that was kicking your asses! Why in the name of f*ck would a Sannin care about a test?!"

"Let me go! Sasuke, help me."

"Tatsu, set her down." Sasuke said slowly.

"...Fine." Tatsu did so, albeit very reluctantly.

"Good."

Sakura took a moment to catch her breath "Sasuke-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke did what Tatsu did, but a lot rougher "You did what?! You've got a lot of nerve abandoning your teammates like that, not to mention dragging me with you! You're nothing but a coward and a fraud, you talk shit to Tatsu and Naruto but that's all you can do! You're pathetic! Well as far as I'm concerned, you're no longer a part of Team 7! You've broken Kakashi's rule and in our eyes, you're worse than trash!" he let them go "We've got both scrolls, let's go."

"We picked up a bunch of scrolls actually." Naruto told him "Kabuto showed up and helped us out."

"Good, pass them out to the others here and let's move."

Sakura found the others giving her dirty looks "I-I didn't know who they were fighting."

Lee stepped forward first "And that automatically makes what you did right? You took one of them against their will and left the other two to die, they have every right to denounce you for that!"

"It would seem that they were fated to be paired with a pathetic kunoichi as a teammate, and the supposed kunoichi of the year isn't all she's made out to be." Neji mocked.

"Dude, Ino was the kunoichi of the year." Tatsu pointed out.

"...I stand corrected, the 2nd kunoichi of the year isn't all she's made out to be."

"Better. Now take this." he held out a scroll.

"My team doesn't need your pity."

"It's not pity, it's my way of saying thanks to Lee for keeping Sasuke alive."

"...Very well." Neji accepted the scroll "Lee speaks very highly of you, apparently you two have history. If we should face each other in the exam, I have high expectations." and he leapt off.

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Sasuke was calming himself down by the river ' _That little-! It's like she doesn't give a shit about my opinion.'_

"Hey."

Sasuke looked and saw Lee sitting beside him "Oh, hey."

"Today's been rough, hasn't it?"

"Try being dragged away from helping your two closest friends against their will."

"I would offer to come with your team so you could have someone to talk to, but my team, particularly Neji, probably wouldn't go for it."

"Don't bother, thanks but no thanks."

"Suit yourself. Later." and Lee walked off.

' _Finally, sweet solitude-'_

"Hey Sasuke."

' _F*ck!'_ he looked to see Ino sit down beside him "Oh it's just you."

"I talked to Tatsu and the guys, we're all going to the tower together."

"...Why? Are you gonna go fangirl on me like Sakura?"

"Hell no, I don't even like you like that!"

"For Tatsu then?"

Ino blushed "Well…"

"No it's alright, I get it. You and that Hyuuga girl, you're the only ones who didn't think about raping me while I was asleep. Thank you for that."

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During one of the breaks on the way to the tower, Ino entered Sakura's mind and got the truth about what happened from her memories, disgusting her.

She later explained it to Shikamaru and Choji, who shared the opinion of Sakura and just glared at her with disgust. All in all, they just kept talking to Tatsu mostly, and some with Naruto and Sasuke.

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Tatsu led the groups to the tower "Alright guys, we're gonna have to part here. This is our door."

"And this is ours." Ino pointed to the door next to theirs "Take care guys, and good luck. To most of you."

"You guys too." and Tatsu led them through the door.

Ino led her squad through theirs.

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Naruto looked around "So what happens now?"

"Check it out." Tatsu pointed to some writing on the wall "If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When Heaven and Earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever. This something is the secret way that guides us from this place today. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to open the scrolls now." he took the Heaven Scroll.

Naruto took the Earth Scroll "1… 2… 3!" and they did "What the hell is this?"

"I recognize that jutsu formula, it's some kind of Summoning Jutsu. Oh crap, get rid of the scroll now!" he threw his away just as Naruto did his.

Then, in a cloud of smoke, Mizuki and Iruka showed up "Hey guys, been awhile."

"Mizuki? Iruka?"

"Looks like you've been through a lot, but you still got here with 2 days to spare. Nice."

"What's with the surprise entrance here? And how long have you guys been planning to pose like that?"

"At the end of the second exam, Chunin are supposed to welcome back the test-takers and it was just luck that we were the ones who got to do that for you."

"Deal with that later you guys." Tatsu went up to them and whispered something too low for the others to hear.

They froze, then Mizuki vanished and Iruka turned to Naruto "Come with me Naruto, I'm taking you to the infirmary."

"Alright." Naruto grabbed onto him, and they vanished.

"So what about you?" asked Sasuke "You gonna be alright? From what I hear, you used almost all of your chakra fighting off Orochimaru. Sorry about that by the way."

"Don't worry about it, just a couple of hours of meditation and I'll be good as new."

"Alright." then he noticed that Sakura was gone "Oh crap, that's not good. That little bitch, she's probably gonna rat on you and Naruto and knowing her she'll probably lie."

"Let's go."

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Sakura was frantically searching around for the jounin lounge ' _No doubt that Naruto and the others are gonna tell the Hokage about what happened, I have to hurry and find Kakashi sensei so that I can get my story to him first.'_ She soon reached the jounin lounge and found Kakashi in there reading his book "Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi looked up from his book in noticeable surprise "Well isn't this a surprise, you guys made it with 2 days left to spare. I'm impressed. Where are the others?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about sensei, Naruto and Tatsu…"

"Naruto and Tatsu what Sakura? I hope you're not planning to put the blame on them for what you did in the forest." a voice cut her off.

Sakura turned and glared at where Ino was standing behind her "This is none of your business swine."

"I'm making it my business, you were about to lie about what you did and I'm not going to let that happen."

"Since when do you care about them?"

' _Not playing that game._ Since I saw your memories while we were travelling."

"Y-You… You had no right!"

"I had every right! You took Sasuke and abandoned Tatsu and Naruto to fight someone who could've killed them at any time. What was it you said? Oh yeah, something about letting them cover your escape."

Sakura was stuttering and was about to yell at her until she was forced to turn around.

Kakashi glared at her with his one good eye "Is what she said true?"

Sakura said nothing and looked down at her feet.

"You disappoint me. You claim to be better than Tatsu or Naruto, both of whom have been training every day of their lives, when you refuse to lift a finger and only passed the academy because of book smarts and even then you just barely passed. You can consider this to be your termination from my team, I have no need for trash like you." and with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Sakura alone stunned and in disbelief.

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Tatsu was meditating in Limbo, using the time dilation to recover his chakra quickly "Come on and show yourself Kurama, we need to talk."

Kurama appeared before him, but much smaller " **So you came…"**

"Orochimaru used a 5-Pronged Seal to cut off Naruto's access to your chakra, how much will this hinder him?"

" **He'll be unable to access the Crimson Wind jutsu or any fire-style jutsu, seeing how they use my chakra, leaving only his Shadow Clone jutsu at his disposal. Considering who he may have to fight, this could be a problem."**

"But as long as he doesn't go up against Lee, Neji or Gaara then he should be fine."

" **Right. You should go now, the next exam will start soon and you've recovered all of your chakra."**

"Right."

 **A/N:**

 **Yes, the Sound Trio will be good guys in this fic. I feel that they had a lot of wasted potential and were just shoehorned out, and I intend to fix that.**

 **Sakura is being bashed as I said before, and she will be kicked out of this fic entirely, at least for the time being, for the purpose of the story. I honestly don't have anything against Sakura, aside from what a (insert massive stream of curse words here) she is in Part I and how she abuses Naruto throughout the entire series, but it's for the sake of the story.**

 **As I said before, Sasuke would not get the Curse Mark, at least not in Part I, but my plans for that area are a surprise for the future.**

 **I'm giving Naruto a secondary nature to fire because I didn't think it was fair that Sasuke had 2 elements while Naruto only had 1, and getting the Tailed Beast chakra during the war doesn't count in my opinion, so I'm giving him a second now and I'll be giving him a third one that will appear after the time skip into Shippuden.**


	6. Harsh Preliminaries, Tatsu vs Gaara

**Lavernius:** I honestly don't have anything against Sakura, aside from what a (insert massive stream of curse words here) she is in Part I and how she abuses Naruto throughout the entire series, but it's for the sake of the story.

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Tatsu noticed that a total of 7 teams had made it through the Forest of Death ' _So our team, Kabuto's team, Lee's team, Ino's team, Kiba's team, the Sound team and the Sand team. Looks like we'll have some tough competition.'_

Anko soon addressed them "First of all, congratulations on finishing the second exam. _There were 78 team, frankly I'm surprised that even 21 passed. I knew that less than half would make it, but I really thought the number would be in the single digits._ Alright now pay attention, Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you! You'd better listen carefully maggots! Lord Hokage, they're all yours."

Sarutobi stepped forward "First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now, it's something all of you need to understand. I'm going to tell you the true purpose of these exams. Why do you suppose our country holds these exams in conjunction with our allies? To raise the ability levels of the shinobi an increase friendship between allied nations to be sure, but it's important that you understand it's true meaning. The exams are, so to speak, a representation of the battle between allied nations. Now if we look at our history, all of the countries we're currently allied with were once neighboring nations that continuously fought with each other for power. In order to avoid destroying each other's military strength meaninglessly, those nations picked champions to do battle on behalf of their countries in a mutually selected location. That was how the Chunin Exams originally began."

"Well that's great but why do we have to go through these exams then?" asked Naruto "I mean, it's not like we're doing this to pick chunin to go fight."

"Well actually, there is no question that part of the point of these exams is to select shinobi worthy of becoming chunin, but that's just not the whole story. These exams also allow for a place where shinobi can carry the pride of their nation on their back and fight against other ninja for their very lives. Many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to attend this exam as guests, and also possibly to seek shinobi to work for them. This exam could determine the course of your ninja work, from here on out and more importantly those rulers will watch your battles and take note of the strengths that each ninja and each nation is developing. If there is a gap in power between the countries then the strong nations are inundated with job requests for their ninja, and conversely the requests to countries that are deemed weak decline. Therefore, the stronger our nation is the better our position when it comes to negotiating with neighboring countries, so it's important to show how much military strength our village has."

"Okay but even so, why is it necessary for us to risk our lives?" asked Kiba.

"The country's strength is the village's strength, the village's strength is the shinobi's strength, and the true strength of the shinobi is only achieved when it's pushed to its limit, such as in a life or death battle. This exam is a chance for each nation to display the strength of its shinobi and hence, the strength of the nation itself. It's because this is an exam where your life is on the line that it has meaning, and it's for this very reason that for the strength of the nation that your forerunners fought in this exam. It's truly a dream worth striving for."

"But then why did you use the expression _friendship_ before?" asked Tenten.

"But you've only remembered half of what I said, you also mustn't have the wrong idea of the exam's meaning. This is a custom in which balance is preserved by fighting and dying, in the world of the shinobi that it friendship. The third exam is a fight for life with the pride of the village and your own dreams at stake. Now listen closely, I'm going to tell you exactly what you'll be doing on the third exam."

That was when Hayate appeared "Lord Hokage, before you do, please allow me to speak first."

"So be it."

Hayate turned to the genin teams "It's nice to meet you all, there's something I would like all of you to do here before the third exam." he let out a hacking cough.

"Hey man, you alright?" asked Kiba.

"Just fine, thanks. We have to have a preliminary exam before we can move onto the third one."

"I've got it from here Hayate-sensei." Tatsu cut in "It's basically to cut down the numbers because so many teams passed. At this stage, they've gotta speed things up a bit. As the Hokage said, a lot of important guests will be watching so they can't afford to waste people's time. They only wanna see the best."

"Exactly, so if anyone feels like they're not in top physical condition then now's the time to raise your hand and bow out bow out. The preliminaries will start immediately."

That was when, to the surprise of many, Kabuto raised his hand "Okay you got me, I think I'm gonna call it."

"I see. Kabuto Yakushi of the Hidden Leaf Village then, you can go ahead and step back while we get started."

"I understand." he prepared to make his way out.

Naruto's loud voice was quick to stop him "Kabuto hold on a second, what the hell is all of this about? What the hell are you doing, you can't just quit!"

"I'm sorry about this Naruto, truly I am, but I just don't have what it takes to keep going as I am right now. The fact is that ever since the orientation and that little scuffle with the team from the Hidden Sound Village I haven't been able to hear anything in my left ear, and now to put my life on the line, to fight again right away without so much as a break… I just don't have it in me, I'm sorry." and with that, Kabuto walked away from the conversation and the group

Tatsu shared a glance with Hayate, Kakashi and the other jonin present ' _This guy claims to have failed the Chunin Exam 7 times, starting to see why but still there's something about him that really just makes my skin crawl.'_

Kabuto was quickly pulled aside by Yoroi and Misumi, his two teammates "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah you bet there is." Yoroi hissed "What the hell do you think you're doing anyway, what about the orders from Lord Orochimaru?"

"Of course I haven't, I'm leaving all of that to you. There shouldn't be a problem with that, for someone with your abilities it shouldn't be any sort of trouble right? This is the chance for the two of you to prove yourselves, after all you've wanted to take my place haven't you? I say you should go for it."

"You might my Lord Orochimaru's favorite, but just be sure you don't push it too far."

"Thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind." and with one last wave at Tatsu and the others, he took his leave ' _Sorry about this Tatsu, Naruto, Sasuke. I do wish that I could've stuck around to play a little bit longer. But then again, if I did that then the old me might get stirred up and we can't have that. It would blow my cover if I did, and I wouldn't be much use as a spy if I did something like that. Besides I've already done my job and played my part, with you here looking after things you don't need me here do you Lord Orochimaru? I suppose I'll just have to save my fun for later, until we meet again my friends. I expect the three of you to go far in this little tournament.'_

With another sickly cough, Hayate got things back on track "Alright then, is there anyone else that wants to quit?" he received no replies of any kind "Very well then, we'll now begin with the preliminary round. This round will consist of 1-on-1 individual combat at full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are 21 of you remaining, so that means there will be 10 matches and one person will be given an automatic advance to the next round. The surviving candidates from these 10 matches as well as the one with said automatic advance will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies or concedes defeat, or is rendered physically incapable of continuing. Naturally, those who concede defeat are urged to forfeit properly to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor I'm given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches. I will occasionally intervene if the match seems hopeless in order to save as many lives as possible. Now it's time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you." the panel behind him opened, revealing an electronic screen "The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random. Before each match, these names will appear on the display behind me. I have nothing more to say, so let's begin. In a moment, the name that appears on the screen will be the candidate who receives the automatic advance." he and the others looked up at the screen to see the name "Rock Lee, you receive and automatic advance to the finals. You may go now."

"I understand, thank you sir." Lee bowed and walked away, frowning slightly as he gripped his fist with determination ' _I suppose our battle will have to wait until the finals Tatsu, but what a glorious battle it will be.'_

"In a moment, the names of the participants in the first match will appear."

Sasuke smirked at the names that appeared ' _Didn't waste any time, did they?'_

Yoroi smirked underneath his mask ' _I couldn't have asked for anything more.'_

' _This guy is one of Kabuto's teammates, I don't know anything about him so I'll have to be sure to keep my guard up.'_

"Alright now, those whose names have been drawn, come forward." Hayate gave the order.

Sasuke quickly stepped forward, with everyone else doing the same.

"You have been chosen for the first match, Yoroi Akado and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?"

"I don't have any to this." Sasuke eyed Yoroi with an intent gaze.

"Alright then, let's begin the first match. Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level." this prompted everyone present to move up to the balconies on separate sides of the room.

' _I don't know what this guy's deal is but I can tell that he's pretty shady, I'd better avoid using my Sharingan or any jutsu just yet until I figure out his gimmick.'_

"Alright, now if you're both ready then let the match begin."

"I'm more than ready."

"So am I." Yoroi formed a quick hand seal and fired off a barrage of shuriken.

Sasuke countered the shuriken using a kunai of his own, only to see Yoroi charge towards him with surprising speed, but he managed to avoid his attack, knock Yoroi to the ground and catch him in an arm lock "I've got you now."

"You would think so." Yoroi grabbed Sasuke by the shirt as his hand began glowing with blue chakra, causing Sasuke's grip to loosen.

"What… What the hell did you do to me?" Sasuke let out a cough, only to receive a quick kick to the chest.

Yoroi quickly rebounded to his feet and retreated "You can feel it can't you, all of your strength having disappeared in an instant." he blitzed back towards Sasuke and grabbed him by the hair as he forced him to the ground.

"What the… What the hell are you doing… to me…?"

"What you're just figuring it out now?"

"Your jutsu… it's stealing my chakra from my body…"

"It took you long enough to catch on, maybe that blonde idiot is rubbing off on you. I have quite the extraordinary jutsu at the grasp of my fingertips, I can suck the chakra right out of the bones of my opponent with just the palm of my hand. And then once the last drop of chakra has been drained from you, you'll be begging for Lord Orochimaru to give you his power."

"So… you're working with… Orochimaru…?"

"It's about time you realized it, but it won't do you any good. You don't have a chance in hell of saving yourself."

"Get… your greasy hands… off of me!" Sasuke dealt Yoroi a sharp kick to the ribs, knocking him to the ground and at the same time forcing him to release his grip, allowing Sasule to pull himself back to his feet.

"So you've still got some fight left in you do you? I have to say that's pretty impressive, especially considering you're just a guinea pig."

' _That was a lot closer than I would've liked.'_

"No need to worry little man, I'll make this short and sweet." Yoroi readied his chakra absorption jutsu and charged at him again.

Sasuke dodged almost every strike, until it hit a few strands of his hair, causing him to stumble slightly.

"What's the matter, don't tell me that's really the best that you can do." Yoroi dodged a feeble kick with ease.

' _I don't have enough speed to keep away from him, there's no way he'll give me enough of an opening to release my gravity seals again, and I don't have a chance in hell in a close quarters fight as I am at the moment. If I'm gonna pull through this then I'll need to think of something and fast.'_

' _The great Sasuke Uchiha, is that all he's capable of?'_

' _What the hell am I supposed to do?'_

"HEY SASUKE!" and then Naruto exploded from the stands "GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF YOU DUMBASS, HOW THE HELL COULD YOU CALL YOURSELF AND UCHIHA, OR A MEMBER OF TEAM 7?! How the hell could you let this ass clown walk all over you?! Pull your head out of your ass and get in gear already!"

"Naruto…"

"NARUTO!" and then Sakura ruined the moment by slamming her fist into Naruto's face in a blind rage "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TALK ABOUT SASUKE LIKE THAT YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"

That was when a blade suddenly appeared in front of her throat, courtesy of Tatsu "Take that fist away if you don't want me to cut off your head."

' _All of them…'_ Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto, and then Tatsu, and then Lee, and then he felt the inspiration hit him ' _Wait a second, that gives me an idea.'_

"I'll teach you to turn your back on me you little son of a bitch!" Yoroi activated his jutsu and charged at Sasuke in a rage "That's a big mistake, and it will be your last!"

"I think we'll see about that." Sasuke dodged and weaved around every attack and then disappeared from view.

"What the hell, where did he go?"

"Right here!" Sasuke blitzed in front of Yoroi and dealt him a sharp uppercut kick to the jaw, sending him flying off his feet, and then he blitzed behind Yoroi in mid air while simultaneously giving Lee a thumbs up "Okay I'll admit it, I pretty much borrowed that move from a friend of a friend but from this point onwards it's all Sasuke style original."

"The Dancing Leaf Shadow?"

"Yep, now get a load of this one. Tell Orochimaru that if he wants my friends then he'll have to go through me! **Lion's Barrage!"** he spun Yoroi around and dealt him a devastating combo in mid air before slamming him straight into the ground before crashing to the ground himself with a loud thud.

Hayate observed the situation and made the call ' _Well I think it's safe to say that they've both had it, but at least Sasuke is still standing._ I'm declaring this match to be over, as the winner of this preliminary round Sasuke Uchiha advances into the finals.

"Yay." Sasuke pumped a tired fist but stumbled slightly from chakra exhaustion.

Tatsu jumped down to meet him at eye level "Not too shabby for a first time user of the Dancing Leaf Shadow."

"Think so huh?"

"Let me take a wild guess, you had your Sharingan activated when me and Lee had our little match before the exams started?"

"What are you gonna do, sue me?"

"No but he might."

"Well he can have that one, if I hadn't seen his moves when you and him went at it then this might have turned out pretty badly." he suddenly cringed at the pain he was feeling.

"Yeah that's not something you wanna use without significant practice."

"Duly noted, I guess I still have a ways to go. But then again, people don't get insanely overpowered in one night."

That was when one of the medic ninjas came over to him "Sasuke Uchiha, maybe you should come along with us to the infirmary and allow us to treat your injuries."

"I don't really have any injuries, I just need a little bit of rest and I'll be just fine."

At the same time, a jonin from the Hidden Sound village looked on at Sasuke with ever growing anticipation and excitement ' _You're growing stronger by the moment aren't you Sasuke? Yes, the stronger you are the more satisfying it will be to make you mine.'_ and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Dosu on the other hand scowled at this and shared a glance with Kin and Zaku ' _Let him do whatever he wants for the time being, but soon enough he'll see that we're far more than just a few pawns for him to dispose of.'_

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A masked figure in a green kimono with a black katana strapped to his side observed the battles through a crystal ball from his place in a hidden room ' _Well that's a pleasant surprise, it would seem that Sasuke's developing much more nicely than you had anticipated Itachi. How he turns out from this point onwards will be very interesting, but then again we have high expectations don't we?'_ he glanced back and his eyes narrowed from beneath his mask as a spiralling ball of chakra formed in his hand "I already know you're there, come out and show yourself before you force either of us to do something drastic."

Sure enough, from within the shadows emerged the Hidden Sound jonin, and with a puff of smoke he revealed his true identity "My my you have grown up haven't you, to think that you've mastered the jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage and your father to such an extent."

"My father may have helped the Fourth Hokage develop the Rasengan since they used to be teammates under Master Jiraiya, but I've mastered it far better than he was able to before his death. Would you like to experience it first hand Orochimaru?"

"Such big talk, you haven't changed a bit have you Dragon, or should I say…?"

"Don't."

"Very well. My business isn't with you anyway, I'm more interested in the Uchiha boy you've been guarding over from the shadows."

"Just tell me, what is it that you want with Sasuke?"

"It would seem you've acquired something new, or rather you've improved on something that you already had. Yes you certainly had it the last time we met, but by no means had you mastered it to that extent, the gift that you hold in your eyes that rivals that of the Sharingan itself. Of course the Sharingan lacks those drawbacks, so it makes sense that I should want it for myself, the power of the Uchiha

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The preliminaries continued to get underway, and two more matches had already been completed fairly quickly.

The second match had featured Shino Aburame of Team 8 against Zaku of the Hidden Sound team, and while Zaku had the element of surprise through revealing that he was able to use both of his arms despite his injuries, Shino was able to secure the win by discreetly using his insects to clog the air tubes in his hands, causing the pressure to build until they burst, allowing him to be easily knocked out by Shino.

The third match was between Misumi Tsurugi, Kabuto's other teammate, and Kankuro of the Hidden Sand village. Misumi quickly attempted to strangle Kankuro using his ability to constrict his opponent by dislocating his joints at will, only to end up being trapped by Kankuro and his puppet Crow, as he used it to break every bone in Misumi's body and snap his neck, though his ability to contort himself.

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Following the surprising brutality of the last few matches, a brief intermission was being held for everyone to recover a little bit of stamina.

Ino was in the bathroom splashing some cold water on her face, and mainly just cleaning herself up, and once she made her way out of the bathroom she found Tatsu leaning against the wall nearby waiting for her "Hey."

"You seem a little bit jumpy." Tatsu noted.

"Can you blame me? We saw Sasuke almost kill a guy, Shino blow holes through a guy's arm and that Sand guy break his opponent's back and smirk about it. It's freaking insane."

"It's the life of a shinobi, if you think that everyone you come across is gonna teddy bears stuffed with candy and flowers farting rainbows out of their asses then you're going to be in for a rude awakening and a lot of therapy."

"Well that's… disturbingly colorful."

"Maybe unnecessarily but it doesn't make what I'm telling you any less true. Let me try this from your approach, if you're not prepared to give it 100% and resolve not to pull any punches no matter who you're up against then you don't stand a chance."

"Okay now see, that's better." Ino shot him a bright smile that was filled to the brim with confidence and resolve "And trust me, I have no intention of quitting. In fact, I can't wait for it to be my turn. I have a few tricks of mine that I have in store, let's just say that you're not the only one who prepared a few surprises for the exam." and with that, she made her way back to the arena.

"Well now, looks like someone's got a fire in her eyes."

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Hayate let out a sick sounding cough "Alright, now let's continue with the preliminary matches then."

Naruto rolled her eyes "Well it doesn't matter who's gonna be picked it's gonna be two total freaks, this contest is chock full of them."

"Get real stupid." Tatsu let out a loud snort "You're the last person in here that has the right to talk about shit like that."

"Hey cut me some slack would ya? You know what my deal is."

"Yeah, and it's the only thing about you that actually makes any sense."

Sakura let out a scoff "Please, the only thing about him that makes sense is that he's a worthless loser."

"You mean like you?"

"Listen you son of a-" she was cut off by the sound of a beep, and she glanced up at the screen and gave a dark smirk "Well what do you know."

Ino glanced up at the screen and let out a sigh "Oh boy."

"Sounds to me like we've got a chick fight." Tatsu pulled out a bag of popcorn, a large soda and what looked like a foam finger "Get ready guys, this is gonna be good."

"Where the heck did you get that stuff?"

"I know when I have to come prepared." then he turned serious "But in all seriousness Ino, you need to remember what I said."

"I know." Ino promptly pulled off her arm warmers (probably unnecessary but I think she looks better without them) and threw them aside "I can't afford to pull any punches against my opponents, no matter who I might have to face." she made her way down into the center of the arena to meet Sakura at eye level.

' _Ino was a stand out amongst the kunoichi in our graduating class, she's got decent chakra reserves, fair taijutsu skills and overall she's fairly balanced in her range of skills. But with that being said, she and Sakura were friends at one point so will she be able to bring herself to fight with everything she's got in order to get the job done? Well I guess we're about to find out, but it's all on you Ino. Don't let us down.'_

"I have to admit that I didn't think I would have to fight you of all people Sakura, or at least I didn't think it would end up happening so soon. But don't expect me to go easy on you."

"You say that like a bitch like you has a chance of beating me." Sakura promptly cracked her knuckles.

"I guess we're about to find out."

Hayate made the call "Begin the match."

"Right."

"You're mine you swine!" Sakura charged at her and let a kick fly forward.

Ino blocked the kick and leapt over the next one, dodging and blocking every attack being thrown at her, whether they be feeble punches and kicks or kunai being hurled at her.

Sakura wasted no time in charging at Ino and started firing off a barrage of punches.

Ino blocked every punch being thrown at her with ease, eventually slugging Sakura in the gut hard enough that she coughed up blood, and then she closed in for the kill.

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Tatsu watched with interest and let out a sigh "Just like I expected."

"Why the hell do you look so upset?" asked Naruto "I mean Ino is totally blowing Sakura out of the water in this battle!"

"And add that to the list of reasons why you're an idiot."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means pull your head out of your ass and you'll see what I mean, yes Ino has the clear advantage in terms of skill, speed, power, pretty much everything but the problem is that she's still fighting with kid gloves."

"Fighting with… kid gloves? What the heck does that mean?"

"It means that she's not fighting seriously."

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Ino let her fist fly towards Sakura, but she suddenly retracted it and settled for lightly slapping her across the face, before she actually realized what had happened ' _I guess Tatsu was right about me pulling my punches, but it's harder than I thought it would be. Sakura and I met back in the academy, I protected her from the other girls that were bullying her because of her huge forehead, I encouraged her to embrace it instead of hide it, and we ended up becoming friends somewhere along that way. So what changed?'_

"That's it." Sakura clenched her fist and gritted her teeth "I'm not the weak and needy little brat that I used to be, and I'm not gonna let you look down on me anymore. You're not on my radar, and you're nothing compared to me!"

"You'd better watch your step Sakura, before you cross the line you can't come back from."

"What line? The line about realizing that Naruto is destined to be worthless and Tatsu is nothing but an orphaned loser that no one ever loved or ever will love, and he just tries to make himself look cooler than Sasuke when he's really all bark and no bite. He's nothing, and he'll never be anything-" she was silenced by a fierce fist to the face, sending her crashing into the wall behind her.

Ino stood there with her fist outstretched and covered in blood that wasn't hers, her teeth grinding furiously "You just crossed that line Billboard Brow, insult me if you want but I won't let you insult my friends."

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Naruto cringed at what he was hearing "Eesh did you hear that stuff? Sakura was so mean, that's gotta be out of line isn't it?"

"Did you not hear any of the stuff she was saying about you and Tatsu, who wouldn't lose it at stuff like that." Sasuke pointed out "But even then it's a lot more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Sakura wouldn't normally be the kind of person to do things like needlessly flaunt her own power or callously hurt people, but whatever pointless hatred she has for you and Tatsu has now completely clouded any judgement she actually has. Combine that with the fact that she hates having Ino take pity on her and pull her punches, and now she's basically fighting on pure rage and hatred alone. She's too far gone."

"But is that really fair to say?"

"She insulted you for being an orphan."

"I know, but… to just callously hate her like that just doesn't feel right."

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Sakura looked at Ino with pure disdain "So you think I'm a bud that hasn't flowered yet now do you? All along Ino, I tried to live my life by the things you said to me so long ago. I thought that if I tried hard enough then I could do it, that I could become a beautiful flower instead of just of just a bud always waiting but never blooming, so I set my sights on you because all I wanted from the start was to be just like you. You set the example for me that gave me a goal to strive towards. For a long time that actually worked, and slowly but surely I did get stronger."

"So then why?" Ino's voice was soft.

"Because you turned your back on me! You sided with those pieces of trash up there and turned your back on Sasuke, you should've stood by him! So for your betrayal I'm gonna prove it to you right now, that I've surpassed you because you lost sight of what's important!" she pulled her headband off her head.

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Naruto was taken aback by the events of the battle "Okay that's insane, what the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean?" asked Tatsu.

"Why are the two of them getting so worked up just looking at each other?"

"Do you not hear yourself right now?"

"What?"

"It's basically a chick version of what you have going on with Sasuke."

"It is?" this caused everyone present to facepalm.

"Look a rivalry between friends is a pretty tricky business, hell I've got the same thing going on with Lee over there." he noticed Lee looking at him and he gave a nonchalant wave "Hey what's up?"

Lee's eyes narrowed at this ' _No wonder Guy sensei gets so worked up when Kakashi sensei acts so cool, Tatsu being so calm and chill is honestly rather irritating.'_

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Ino looked at Sakura with what seemed like a mix of pity and sadness ' _I guess our friendship kind of went to hell when I heard what you said about Naruto and Tatsu, you just didn't care about what you said and thought it was no big deal. That was when I realized that you weren't the Sakura that I knew, not anymore. She died a long time ago, so whoever this is that's standing before me… she's a monster that needs to be taken down a few pegs.'_ she pulled her headband off her waist and tied it around her forehead ' _No more holding back, no hesitation. She has to go down, whatever it takes.'_

Sakura promptly tied her headband around her waist ' _No more holding back, no hesitation. She has to go down, whatever it takes._ Come on Swine."

"Fine by me Billboard." and so they both charged.

" **Clone Jutsu!"** Sakura formed a few hand seals and summoned a few clones at her side in a blur.

"Just the basic Clone Jutsu? This is more than just the graduation exam for the Ninja Academy, a basic jutsu like that one. Unlike you I've actually bothered to learn some real jutsu in the past few weeks. **Water Style: Raging Waves!"** Ino formed a few hand seals and spewed out a wave infused with chakra from her mouth, revealing the clones on Sakura's left and right as it spewed further until it left a large dent in the wall.

' _You think that's gonna stop me pig? I can send chakra into my feet for a burst of speed and power through this technique!'_ Sakura channeled chakra into her feet and leapt into the air over the technique "You think that's enough to beat me?"

"It's enough to get your attention." Ino blitzed behind Sakura and dealt her a sharp kick to the abdomen, sending her crashing to the ground.

Sakura spat out some blood and pulled herself back to her feet "I'm not… the same weak… brat that I used to be… You play with fire and it'll burn you alive. Now come on swine, stop holding out on me."

"You say that like I ever needed your invitation, I'm more than willing to give you the best that I've got Sakura, but you're not going to like it."

"I think we'll see about that."

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Tatsu observed the battle from the stands "Sakura's making decent use of basic academy jutsu but that's about it. As for Ino, decent taijutsu skills and use of basic Water Style jutsu, not to mention she can make quick judgements in battle." he shot a glance over at Asuma and gave a quick nod of approval "Respect."

"Wait hold on a second." Naruto shot a look at him "You're not saying that Ino is better than me are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, your basics are a shit show."

"Oh come on!"

"Hey I'm just telling it like it is."

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"You're going down you swine!" Sakura charged at Ino in a rage and fired off a quick barrage of shuriken.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Billboard brow. **Water Clone Jutsu!"** Ino formed a quick hand seal and summoned two water clones and had them charge forward.

' _Just another kind of clone jutsu like Naruto's stupid Shadow Clones, I just have to look carefully to see which one is the real one.'_ Sakura looked at the clones and let a fist fly towards one of them, only for it to be caught by one of the clones "What?"

" **Water Style: Raging Waves!"** Ino unleashed a stream of water from her mouth and hit Sakura with it dead on, the force blowing her back into the wall behind her.

Sakura forced herself back to her feet "I won't… let you… see me as… as weak! I'm stronger than you Ino, I won't let you make a fool out of me!"

"Sakura the only one making a fool out of yourself is you. All this time all you've been doing nothing but fawning over Sasuke and trashing Naruto and Tatsu for no good reason. Your stupid grudge against the two of them has gone way too far, and now you've totally abandoned them because of it.

"Shut up! It was their fault for acting so cool!" Sakura stumbled forward as fast as she could in a blind rage and let her fist fly

With a heavy sigh, Ino formed a series of hand seals and caught Sakura's fist "I was hoping I could get through to you, but I guess it was just a stupid pipe dream. Sorry Sakura, but this battle is over. **Water Style: Ripping Torrent!"** she summoned a small spiralling water vortex in her hand and slammed it straight into Sakura's gut, sending her crashing into the wall behind her in a soaking wet heap, while Ino herself fell to one knee from exhaustion.

Hayate went over to examine Sakura's unconscious form ' _Well not only has she had it, but she's also demonstrating some serious mental instability._ Since her opponent is unable to continue, by a knockout victory Ino Yamanaka advances to the final rounds."

"Yay…" Ino pumped a tired fist in triumph.

Tatsu jumped down to help her back into the stands "Congratulations, you won and now you've officially proven that Sasuke created a meme."

"Very funny."

"I guess Naruto is rubbing off on me. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah I think so, I just need to lie down for a few minutes."

"Well I think you earned it after the fight you put up. You know you had me worried for a little while there, top kunoichi or not I didn't think you had what it takes to not pull your punches against someone like Sakura, but I guess I just underestimated how much you've grown since those days."

"I just wish I could've gotten through to her." Ino glanced down to where Sakura was being taken away to the infirmary.

"Well you can't save everyone, but a lot of good still happened in that fight. I think Asuma made the right call in letting you take the exam."

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Dragon stared down Orochimaru with clear suspicion and hidden anger in his eyes "Enough of your mind games, what are you after this time?"

"If you insist." Orochimaru let out a chuckle "This Hidden Sound village that everyone is so curious about, it belongs to none other than yours truly. To put it quite simply, I'm the one who created it in the first place. I think you understand my point without me having to say any more, don't you?"

"You and your wild eyed ambition."

"Oh yes indeed, as always. But to play the game as you put it, I need pieces on the shogi board, pawns that are ready and willing to do my bidding."

"Meaning that you consider Sasuke to be one of your pawns?"

"Oh he's far from being a pawn, Sasuke is a much more valuable piece to me than that. But as for the others, well you know how it is in a game of shogi. No win can be secured without being ready to sacrifice at least a few pieces here and there." he slowly stepped forward.

Dragon held up the Rasengan in his palm "Come closer, I dare you. We both know what happens when you get within the range of this jutsu. It doesn't matter to me if you are one of the Legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf, take one more step or take any action against the Leaf and one of us will die here."

Orochimaru let out a chuckle, which then turned into full on laughter "My my."

"You find something funny?"

"Poor Dragon, as noble as your efforts are they're all in vain. Do you truly believe that I can be kept from Sasuke, do you really believe that Sasuke can be kept from what it is that he desires the most? You know I'm right, a heart like his that hungers for one thing and one thing alone, he will not be denied, no matter what obstacles you try to place in his path. Sasuke Uchiha is a true Avenger is he not?"

"Far from it, he's a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. You can't take advantage of him as you please you know."

"You cannot hope to stop the inevitable, at some point he will come to me for power of his own free will. Unless of course you carry out your threat to kill me. Now is your chance, take that chance if you dare."

Dragon said nothing, he just de-materialized his Rasengan, sweat dripping down the side of his face from within his mask.

"That's what I thought." and with that, Orochimaru disappeared, leaving Dragon alone.

' _One of us will die here… Perhaps Itachi was right when he said I get too into these sorts of things.'_

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The next few matches got well underway.

The fifth match was between Tenten of Team Guy and Temari of the Hidden Sand team, and despite Tenten showcasing her impressive mastery of weapons, Temari's wind based attacks easily negated them, allowing her to defeat Tenten without too much effort.

The sixth match was between Shikamaru and Kin from the Hidden Sound team, and despite being caught in Kin's genjutsu, Shikamaru managed to trap her with his Shadow Possession Jutsu, allowing him to knock her out cold.

The seventh match was between Naruto and Kiba from Team 8, and while Kiba's speed and power were impressive, as was his tag team skills with his ninja dog Akamaru, as well as Naruto being at a disadvantage due to being unable to access his Crimson Wind jutsu or any fire style jutsu due to the Five Pronged Seal Orochimaru had placed on him, but eventually he managed to disrupt Kiba's sense of smell thanks to… certain circumstances, and he managed to use a combination move utilizing his Shadow Clones, allowing him to secure the win.

The eighth match was between Hinata of Team 8 and Neji of Team Guy, cousins of the Hyuga clan. Hinata fought as hard as she could, but the match proved to be very one sided due to Neji being that much stronger than her, and despite Naruto encouraging her Neji beat her down with ease and taunted her, forcing Naruto to be restrained in his rage.

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Kabuto met with Orochimaru in a secret location in order to report to him "The preliminaries are still ongoing but they should be done soon, then they'll be moving onto the final rounds as we expected."

"Excellent." Orochimaru let out a chuckle "While all of these countries are racing to expand their military might the birds continue to sing, I believe that this country of ours has been at peace for far too long as it is."

"Then please, allow me to do it."

"I'm not too sure about that, how much fun would it be to take out an old man like the Hokage to begin with?"

"So that's how it is, but then what's the problem? You're not still having second thoughts about it are you Lord Orochimaru? From now on each of the Hidden Villages will clash with each other in a long and violent struggle. Even the Hidden Sound village won't be able to escape from that violence. And what you intend is to be the trigger for all of that hostility by firing Sasuke as if he was your own bullet. Isn't that correct?"

"You guess very well, so well that even I find it a bit creepy in fact."

"You give me far too much credit, I still didn't know about your plans involving Dosu and the other Sound genin. While I was gathering information on Sasuke I wanted to learn about the skill levels of those three Hidden Sound ninja, so I confronted them in a clumsy way and allowed them to attack me. I learned a great deal from them. It seems that you don't quite trust me now do you Lord Orochimaru, not yet at least."

"Would it really be necessary to tell my right hand man about those three ninja? My silence is proof of my trust, I trusted in you to act without that knowledge. For that very reason, I'm planning to leave Sasuke and the others in your capable hands. Unfortunately I was unable to give my mark to Sasuke in the Forest of Death, but in any event that is not my concern at the moment. The boy still has darkness left in his heart and we can and will manipulate that to our advantage, which is why I want you to take care of him."

"It's unusual for you to act so hasty is it not?"

"Perhaps it is, but there is still a little bit of something that has me troubled."

"You mean Naruto Uzumaki and Tatsu Kamikaze do you not?"

"You're quite sharp aren't you Kabuto? Sasuke is driven by his desire for revenge against his older brother Itachi, he's burning with a desire to kill him for what he did to their family, and he won't rest until he achieves that goal. And yet when we fought each other, even though he knew he would be unable to prevail against me he came at me without any fear of death. I didn't think he would be the type of person who would be in such a hurry to die a death without any true meaning or purpose. According to the information I received from you, contact with the likes of those two brats has altered Sasuke's heart and mind, so much so that they now hold a certain level of influence over our Sasuke. The thing to do is get Sasuke away from them as soon as possible, because the sooner we do the easier it will be for me to make him mine forever."

"...Very well then, so be it."

"Just one other thing Kabuto, you know that if it's your desire to stop me then I'm afraid the only chance you would have would be to kill Sasuke now. You can't possibly hope to kill me, even if you did have the courage to do so it amounts to the likes of nothing. You're no stronger than the likes of Kakashi, and you know how he compares to me." this left Kabuto petrified, but then he let out a chuckle "Calm yourself, I'm just kidding you. But you had better run along now, do be sure to keep in mind that I'm trusting you Kabuto."

"I understand." and with that, Kabuto took his leave.

' _That look on his face, I can't help but wonder what's going on in his head.'_

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Tatsu looked at the names that next appeared on the screen and gripped the railing, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead ' _Shit…'_

"Tatsu, listen." Lee got his attention "You know you're up against Gaara after this, right?"

"Yeah, I know. There aren't many things or people who can make me sweat like this, but Gaara is definitely one of them."

"Whatever happens, just be careful out there."

"I only promise to try."

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Choji found himself on the arena floor facing off against Dosu ' _Oh boy, this is gonna be pretty tough.'_

"Go for it!" Ino cheered "Come on Fatso, you can do it!" and that set him off.

"Oh that is IT, I'm gonna flatten this guy like a pancake in the next ten seconds and then I'm coming after you Ino! You got that?!"

Dosu rolled his one good eye "Suit yourself fatso, if you want this match to end quickly then I'll just win it quickly."

"Oh you are so gonna go down hard you mummified asshat. _I know his techniques all too well from my last battle with him, those holes on his gauntlet emit a pulsing sound but if I can't hear it then he can't hurt me._ **Ninja Art: Expansion Jutsu!"** he expanded himself into a large round form "And now for the Hidden Leaf style of taijutsu!" he pulled his arms, legs and head into the boulder form ' _This can protect my ears from his attacks, and now I can crush him like a goddamn bug!_ Chubbies rule mother fucker! **Human Boulder!"** he started rolling forward at full speed.

"And just like that I can tell he's having way too much fun with that." Dosu just started jumping around and dodging Choji's attacks with ease ' _I don't even need to touch this one in order to hit him with my sonic blast, but I can imagine that this one thinks that it only works when his ears are showing, and that now that his ears are covered by his jutsu. So that means that all I have to do is…'_ he jumped out of the way and let Choji get himself stuck in the wall and stuck his sound gauntlet into Choji's body "You barely have any control over where you're going, that type of jutsu does more harm than good."

"Yeah like you're one to talk, you can't hurt me while my ears are covered!"

"You would think, but no." he promptly activated his sound gauntlet, sending out a vibrating sound wave that pretty much left Choji down and out "You see the human body is 70% made up of water, and water is able to transmit soundwaves. To put it simply, when it comes to my attacks your entire body is basically one gigantic ear."

Hayate examined Choji and made the call "The winner of the ninth match is Dosu Kinuta, and as such he advances to the finals."

"As expected." Dosu promptly made his way back to the balcony while Choji was taken away by the medics ' _You understand it now don't you Orochimaru? Myself and the others, we're far more than just mere puppets of yours.'_

"And now we shall begin the final match, will Tatsu Kamikaze and Gaara of the Desert please come down.

' _This is it.'_ Tatsu jumped down into the arena and formed some quick hand signs ' _I might have to release those gravity seals after all.'_ his legs glowed blue for a quick second.

' _Finally.'_ Gaara appeared on the arena floor in a swirl of sand, his cold eyes making Tatsu sweat slightly, eyes full of rage, hatred and bloodlust.

Tatsu quickly took a moment to compose himself ' _I haven't been scared of an opponent since the likes of Orochimaru or… Itachi. I know he's a jinchuuriki, but he's so different from Naruto in just about every way. Well either way, I've gotta give it my all. Kazuma wouldn't back down, and neither will I.'_

The cork on Gaara's gourd wriggled, then shot towards Tatsu like a bullet.

Tatsu cranked his neck to the side, the cork whizzing past and missing by mere inches, then looked at where the cork was stuck tight in the wall behind him.

Sand emerged from Gaara's gourd and circled around him.

Tatsu dropped into a taijutsu stance ' _Just to get a hold of his attack power and style.'_ he listened as Hayate called for the match to begin.

Gaara's sand lunged forward.

Tatsu quickly fired a volley of shuriken and formed several hand signs " **Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Shuriken Jutsu!"** he fired a barrage of fire-enhanced shuriken, just enough to cancel out the sand, the force causing multiple explosions that shook the stadium. Tatsu's foot touched the ground and leapt sideways in order to get an angle on Gaara, and found a chance when he saw him standing there motionless ' _This is my chance!_ **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he fired a blast of purple lighting from his left hand, then jumped up onto the ceiling " **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** he finished the assault with a crimson fire dragon, the colliding fire and lightning resulting in a fiery explosion, and he waited to see if any damage had been done.

When the blast subsided, the smoke cleared and revealed Gaara, completely unharmed.

' _That's not possible, even if he's a jinchuuriki he should've taken at least some damage! And the sand around him doesn't help, it's acting like a shield and protecting him subconsciously.'_

The top of the sand shield writhed around, and another sand pillar shot forward.

Tatsu began phasing out, disappearing and reappearing as he dodged the barrage of sand needles being hurled at him "Take this!" he channeled some chakra into his fist and thrusted it forward.

Gaara's sand sprang up to protect him without him even having to move.

Tatsu's fist met the sand with a thud that echoed across the room and made the very floor itself shake, blood dripping from his wound due to the contact with the sand ' _Dammit, it's like punching a wall of steel! Even enhancing it with chakra didn't work!'_

A spike shot forward from the shield.

"Shit!" Tatsu threw himself back and flinched when the spike grazed his cheek, opening a noticeable cut, before he did a few backflips to gain some distance.

Sand shot towards him during the third backflip.

Tatsu blitzed through hand signs " **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"** he fired a sharp blast of wind, the sand exploding effectively.

The grains of sand shot down from above, and Gaara had yet to even move or turn to look at what Tatsu was doing. Sand sprang up in anticipation of the attack and defended against it, though it received a shallow slash.

Tatsu leapt above Gaara and flashed through hand signs " **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** a flaming red dragon shot downwards, slamming violently towards Gaara in a fiery explosion.

When everything settled, an umbrella of sand was present above Gaara's head.

"Dammit." Tatsu touched down on the floor and had a brief staredown with his opponent ' _As I expected, he's tough. He doesn't have a scratch on him even after all that.'_

"Is that all?" Gaara's rasping voice indicated his ever-growing fury "Is that all you've got?!" a huge tidal wave of sand rose from beneath him and shot towards Tatsu like a runaway train.

"Crap!" Tatsu bolted in the opposite direction in an attempt to get airborne, jumping and ducking under tendrils coming from the wave of sand chasing him. Thinking quick, he hit the wall and ran straight up it and onto the ceiling, then formed hand signs " **Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"** he fired several small fireballs.

Gaara's sand once again rose up and protected him, and when the smoke cleared, it revealed a slowly dissolving sand wall "You're nothing but a bug!" a sand pillar burst forward and took a quick swipe.

Tatsu ducked under it, fazed out and re-appeared on top of the gigantic hand sign statue ' _This isn't good, I'll have to get serious if I want to win._ Sorry Kakashi, but I'm gonna have to take them off if I wanna come out on top." he pulled up the pants on his gi, bit down on both of his thumbs, and placed one thumb on each leg, revealing weights ' _Gravity Seals are actually weights sealed inside of tags, making them really effective for physical strength training.'_ he dropped them and let them fall to the ground.

Temari smirked ' _Come on, you really think he'll be able to get through Gaara's defences just by dropping a couple of pounds of weight?'_

Tatsu's weights hit the ground and the floor exploded, leaving two very deep craters where the weights once were "Oh yeah, that's better. Now I can breathe easy."

Everyone but Team 7 gaped at the hole, then started gawking at Tatsu.

"What?"

"Go for it Tatsu, kick his ass back to where he came from!" surprisingly enough, it was Sasuke who cheered this.

"That's the plan." Tatsu gave a thumbs up, then vanished.

' _What the-?'_ Gaara blinked when his sand shield sprang up behind him only to explode, and he turned towards the disturbance. It happened again, multiple times in fact.

Picking up speed until the shield couldn't form without exploding, Tatsu became only a blur as he hit the shield and moved on, slowly managing to overwhelm the defenses bit by bit "This is it! **Rasengan!"**

Gaara found a spiralling ball of chakra filling his vision, before he was sent spiralling across the arena and slammed into the hand statue, which soon crumbled into a cloud.

Tatsu straightened himself up and watched the cloud expand "Come on out already. I know you're not dead, I can sense your chakra and your bloodlust.

A shape slowly became visible, and Gaara emerged, seemingly unharmed, his gourd shattered and sticking out behind him, his face crumbling away and his skin just falling off, but it appeared as if he was using a sort of armor that had protected him from the blow. He was grinning, a psychotic and insane grin that sent chills down Tatsu's spine.

' _Of course, how did I not see it? The gourd is made of sand too, he used it to cushion the blow! Stupid stupid stupid!'_

"Finally!" Gaara's sanity leached away before everyone's eyes "Finally, I can kill you and prove my existence!"

"Kill me to prove your existence?" for once, Tatsu was completely lost ' _Not gonna lie, that's a new one.'_

"Die!" Gaara thrusted one arm forward and sand shot forward like a bullet, much faster than before.

' _It's faster!'_ Tatsu threw himself out of the way, the sand just barely catching him and tearing a gash in the stomach of his shirt ' _Way faster!_ **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he unleashed a quick fireball.

The sand shield formed, again much faster than before, and the attack detonated harmlessly.

Tatsu shot forward, becoming a blur, and there was a clapping noise as he slammed a Rasengan fist into the shield, shattering it like a piece of armor, before the attack drilled into Gaara's gut, shattering the sand and sending him tumbling back.

Then a kick snapped forward and caught Gaara in the chin, lifting him into the air.

Sand began circling around Tatsu's feet, signalling he had to act then, so he grabbed Gaara's sash and tugged him towards him "Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" he unloaded into Gaara's stomach so hard and fast he sprouted multiple fists.

Gaara let out a pained gasp, blood coming up soon after.

Noticing sand rising up behind him, Tatsu knew he was out of time and used a chakra-enhanced fist to punch Gaara away into the wall beneath one of the balconies, and he then watched as the sand sped after Gaara ' _Good, just as I'd hoped. I had to take a risk since I didn't know if the sand would go for me or save Gaara fist. I guess my hunch was right.'_ he heard a maniacal laughter filling the air ' _Oh shit.'_

"So strong!" Gaara lunged forward from the cloud obscuring him "So strong! I will have your blood!" blood covered his teeth and lowered face, making him seem that much more insane and terrifying, like he'd just devoured someone, and sand began clumping up on his right arm.

Tatsu gulped slightly ' _Well that evil feeling I'd been getting just increased about 100-fold.'_ then he staggered and held his head, another wave of sand slamming down on him.

"Kill you… kill you… I will… I WILL KILL YOU!" the sand on Gaara's arm shot out and caught Tatsu off guard.

' _Its speed shot up again!'_ Tatsu found himself scooped off his feet and flung across the arena before slamming into the wall with enough force to knock even a couple of the shinobi present off their feet.

"TATSU!" Ino, Lee, Naruto, Sasuke and everyone else present leaned over the rail in order to clarify what had happened.

A yell and a flash lit the air and the sand and expanding cloud of powder were blown away, revealing Tatsu, panting heavily with blood running down the side of his face, one eye forced shut ' _Okay… that hurt…'_

Sand gathered again for another strike.

Tatsu wiped the blood from his face to get both eyes back ' _I'll need both of them if I wanna survive, let alone win…'_

The sand finished gathering and shot towards him again, the end opening up and appearing like a giant hand reaching towards him.

Tatsu quickly rolled, the attack just barely missing and slamming through a wall, a section disconnecting and coming at him like the arc of a water fountain, forcing him to keep rolling to survive, before eventually bumping into a wall ' _Okay, this is gonna hurt…'_

"Now I've got you!" Gaara let out a victorious howl, his sand quickly descending. Another explosion rang out, the smoke roaring out from beneath their balcony like a hurricane.

"Tatsu!" Naruto was the first one to round on Gaara "I'll make you pay for that you son of a bitch!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Naruto, but I'll take it from here." a voice said dryly, and a shadow emerged from within the smoke ' _I might be used to heavy-hitting fights like this, but I've never taken on a jinchuuriki in a life or death battle before. If I'm not careful, I will die.'_

Gaara actually looked confused for once "Why? Why can't I kill you?!"

"The better question is, why do you want to kill me? What could I have possibly done to earn your hatred? I barely even know your name!"

"Because you're strong!" Gaara's right eye faded from teal to a faint gold, a star-shaped pupil with 4 dots in between points of the star, sand slowly creeping over the side of his face "I'll kill you for that reason, and then everyone will know that I exist?"

"That's your reason? You're basically killing me just because, you're no better than a fucking wild animal!"

"Yes, I'm an animal! Hated and despised by my village, I have nothing! And you…" his gaze wandered over to Ino and the ret on the balcony "You have everything, and I hate you for it! So let me show you what it's like to have nothing!" his arm shot out, but this time at the spectators on the Leaf's balcony.

The jonin moved to protect their students, but they were rather startled when a shape appeared in front of them, revealed to be Tatsu, sword drawn to beat back the sand, and was slammed into the wall between Naruto and Sasuke, who watched in horror as Tatsu spat up blood and was dragged from the hole in the wall and slowly lowered to Gaara's mercy, or lack thereof.

The sand arm detached and started floating, held in the air by Gaara's chakra and slowly began enveloping Tatsu "Don't bother, no one's ever escaped my Sand Coffin."

Tatsu ignored him and tried to dislodge the sand and get an arm free ' _If I try to get my arms free and use a jutsu like this, the explosion would probably just tear my arm clean off.'_

The sand continued advancing, passing his elbows and moving on like a glacier.

Tatsu found himself losing more and more movement room ' _This is bad…'_ he was almost entirely enveloped in sand, with only his face showing. He tried to break free, but the sand passed over his face, forcing him to either stop or suffocate.

"Now you die!" Gaara extended his partially sand free arm "Enjoy Hell! **Sand Burial!"** the sand moved half an inch, then stopped "What?!" the sand began cracking and a bright cyan light pierced the shell, the cocoon shaking and trembling, before a roar was known, muffled by the sand but still there, slowly growing in pitch and volume as more rays burst from the Sand Coffin.

A flash of light appeared and exploded outwards, the screaming almost deafening, the shockwave reaching the stands and almost sending everyone flying. A massive cloud was left in the center of the arena, hanging like a thick fog over where Tatsu had one been trapped.

Gaara released himself from the remains of the hand statue after he'd been blow into it by the previous shockwave, his sand swirling faster and faster as a chirping noise became noticeable.

"You can beat on me all you like, you can even kill be and I'd be fine with it." a voice rang through the air "But involving my friends and the people I've sworn to protect is crossing the line that forfeits your life." Tatsu emerged, now clad in a cyan-coloured chakra cloak "I'm going to end this here and now. _I've already used up most of my chakra, so I'd better make these next few attacks count.'_

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"What is that?" asked Naruto "Is that Tatsu?"

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask "That's what happens when Tatsu goes at 100% of his full power, with the power of his eyes. You guys better brace yourselves, this battle is going to heat up again."

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Tatsu gestured at Gaara, beckoning with one finger "Come on."

"DIE!" Gaara's arm flew forward.

Tatsu ducked, then blitzed forward with enough force to shatter the ground beneath him, his chakra-enhanced fist being burrowed into Gaara's face, going through the sand and hitting the flesh beneath it, bouncing him off the wall behind him.

"DIE!" Gaara twisted in the air and launched his other hand at Gohan, sprouting a tail like a raccoon.

Tatsu raised one hand and caught the attack with ease, his chakra flaring wildly, the shock blowing the hand apart "Sorry, but that won't work on me again." he blitzed towards Gaara and kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying into the wall above the double doors. Then he formed a hand seal "Sorry, but if you're gonna hurt my friends then I'll do whatever it takes to stop you. **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** the red fire dragon rocketed forward, but Tatsu then formed more hand signs " **Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"** he fired the blast of wind forward, enhancing the fire dragon and changing its color " **Combination Jutsu: Scorch Style: Blazing Purple Dragon!"**

Gaara looked stunned by the size of the attack heading for him, only to be lost amid the fiery purple of the attack, the ensuing explosion shaking the room itself.

"Did I get him?"

A low rumbling noise emerged, and the smoke cleared, revealing a startling surprise in the form of a wedge-shaped shield of sand, sparkling like diamond.

"Son of a bitch!"

The sand dissolved and revealed Gaara, now covered in sand and unharmed. He tapped the sparkle hanging in the air, and the sand shattered.

' _So that's it, the wedge of sand split and deflected the force of the blast instead of trying to absorb it all at once.' I'm having a hard time with this guy, I've got him outclassed in terms of sheer power, but he's got range and flexibility, not to mention his attacks have been getting fiercer with his boost in speed, like he's borrowing power from… wait, that's it! He's borrowing power from the Shukaku, and now it's starting to take over! I've gotta get him on the defensive fast!'_ he blitzed out.

Gaara's eyes went wide as a foot smashed into his jaw, launching him into the ceiling, and he bounced off and began to head down.

Tatsu appeared next to him and slammed him across the arena again, catching and passing by him before belting him into the ground

Gaara bounced off with a loud crunch, then rose just enough for the next kick to get underneath and push him straight up.

" **Rasengan!"** Tatsu appeared above him, Rasengan in hand, and down it went and burrowed its way into Gaara's gut, folding Gaara around him before the attack finally blasted back towards the ground, tearing a hole in the ceiling.

Gaara slammed through the last level and crashed into the ground in a blast of wind and dust, leaving a massive crater in the center of the arena with a single arm sticking up, the sand streaming away until it was completely human again.

Tatsu appeared and slowly touched the ground ' _Is it over?'_

Silence fell.

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"No… way…" was all Kankuro could manage.

"He… He did it?" Temari stammered "He really… beat Gaara?"

"To defeat Gaara in 1-on-1 combat, such a thing is unheard of." Baki, their sensei, noted.

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' _I think it's over…'_ Tatsu dropped out of his Tenseigan Chakra Mode, panting heavily ' _Okay, clearly the fight with Gaara drained me more than I would've guessed. If this had gone on any longer, there'd be a fair chance of the power corrupting me as long as I was in the mode. Then again, it almost always depends on the user's willpower, and my will isn't exactly weak.'_

Hayate warily stepped forward "Winner, Tatsu-" he trailed off for obvious reasons.

The ground started shaking and rumbling, a flash of light appeared, and once more the arena was filled with the chirping noise of an aura as cracks began forming in the ground.

Tatsu quickly leapt back as a crack snapped open beneath him and spewed sand ' _Dammit, after all that all I did was awaken the demon in him!'_

Fractures opened and began spewing sand all over the floor.

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"Baki, we've gotta split!" Kankuro yelled "We've gotta go now!"

"But Gaara… what about Gaara?" Temari protested.

"There's nothing we can do for him." Baki answered grimly "You've all won your matches, let's go."

They ran for the exit, but a wall of sand blocked their way and forced them onto the balcony with the Leaf group.

"Nobody's going anywhere!" a voice shrieked, coming from Gaara, his hand twitching and jerking violently "Not unless they're in a body bag!" with what sounded like an explosion, Gaara rose up as an indistinct shadow with glowing golden eyes, and pointed a finger at Tatsu "And you, I'll start with you!"

Tatsu tried to stop himself from shaking ' _Dammit, as much as I hate to admit it I'm kind of scared of this thing.'_ he noticed the sand piling up around him ' _Still though, this was how I felt with Zabuza and with Orochimaru, so I'm not gonna let this be any different.'_

The creature across from him laughed maniacally, then let out a sigh as he began flexing Gaara's sand-covered body parts "It feels great to get a chance to stretch my legs, I haven't been able to for a few months now."

"What are you… Just what are you?"

"Who, me?" Gaara's human form totally gave way to the creature "You can call me Shukaku, but I'd prefer it if you called me your executioner!"

Tatsu noticed a shadow falling over him, and he looked behind him and paled at the massive wall of sand that he saw. As the wall began coming down, Tatsu flashed back into his Tenseigan Chakra Mode quickly formed hand signs " **Wind Style: Great Breach!"** he fired a blast of wind, pushing back the sand in front of him as the sand passed by him harmlessly.

A large arm of sand slammed Tatsu from behind and carried him straight into the wall, smashing him into it and pinning him down.

Tatsu let out a hiss of pain as the hand tightened its hold, grinding his elbows into his ribs.

Shukaku crowed out a laugh "This is gonna be fun! Hope you last awhile kid, cause you're gonna die slowly!" he withdrew the arm holding Tatsu, then shot it out again, slamming him headlong into the arena's door.

Tatsu cried out when his forehead hit the concrete, causing everyone to wince.

The hand dragged him sideways, running his head through the walls before slamming all around the arena, from the floor repeatedly to every wall, Tatsu crying out in pain each time as the beating kept getting worse and worse.

It wasn't long before his face and shoulders, the only parts of him they could see, were cut and nearly mangled, blood flying everywhere as he was thrown around like a ragdoll.

"Let's see how you like being put through the ceiling, huh?!" Shukaku roared, followed by a loud crunch as the hand slammed through the roof before dissolving.

Tatsu began to fall, tumbling limpy, though his Tenseigan Chakra Mode didn't fade so he was still conscious, and more importantly, alive.

"Not done yet!" Shukaku launched his left arm forward.

"Tatsu look out!" Naruto screamed.

That breathed new like into Tatsu, his eyes snapping open once more as he twisted halfway through the fall, the sandy claw scraping over his back and opening a few minor abrasions. He blitzed through some hand signs " **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** he unleashed another red fire dragon that shot across the arena.

A shield of sand sprang up and intercepted the attack long before it would've hit Shukaku.

Tatsu landed lightly on the sand, only to be tangled by it.

Shukaku's arms retreated before they shot out again "Take this!" the arms slammed together.

Tatsu's cries of pain echoed through the chamber ' _Dammit, I've gotta take him down if I want to survive let alone get to the finals, but his attacks come from wherever the sand is and right now this whole place is basically his playground.'_

Shukaku held up an arm, the surface rippling " **Sand Shuriken!"** bulges of sand shot out and burst forward.

Tatsu was taken off guard and quickly drew his sword to defend as about half of the projectiles made contact, while the other half hit and opened gashes on his arms.

Another arm of sand caught him, this one from behind having sprouted from the ground. Then Shukaku swept Tatsu off his feet with his sand and carried him towards him, then shot his arm out at him.

Tatsu let out a yell, sending out a shockwave that blew away both of Shukaku's hands, opening up a spot on the floor and shoving Shukaku back slightly.

"An opening!" Ino yelled "Come on Tatsu, get him!"

" **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** Tatsu shot out another red fire dragon that hit Shukaku full in the face and blew him head over heels, enveloping the area in smoke.

"Hell yeah, that's the way!" Lee cheered "Beat him back to kingdom come!"

"I'll try." Tatsu was already skimming over the sand.

A small wake rose behind Tatsu, reaching Shukaku just as its feet got under him. Shukaku then caught a flash of a foot, only to then wind up flying through the air, before he flipped and got ready for an attack.

Sand lunged for Tatsu's angle, but he leapt into the air, breaking the bond before it had enough time to form. With his eyes burning cyan, his chakra cloak burned even brighter and burst forward with renewed speed, drawing back as he prepared to throw his momentum and body weight behind the attack.

The sand on Gaara's body rushed forward and created a shield, the blow hit and Shukaku was sent speeding towards the floor, the sand forming a cushion and catching him, turning into a sphere.

That was when Tatsu dropped from above with a massive axe kick that was heavy enough to deform the sphere.

Spikes of sand formed.

Tatsu had already leapt away, inches ahead of the sand ' _Now way I'll get through that if it's as hard as the rest of the sand, I'm gonna need to use a technique that can cut through it. I can't use my elemental Crescent Moon Dance, the sand is too hard for my sword to cut through even with my elemental chakra enhancing it. There's gotta be another technique I have that can cut… wait… that's it! It's been awhile since I've used this, I haven't really mastered it yet, but it's my only shot.'_ white chakra began rapidly circling around his feet as he dropped out of his Tenseigan Chakra Mode ' _Come on, build up the chakra, build up the chakra… Good, nice and easy, just don't move for another minute or so and I'm home free.'_

The outside of the sphere roiled, and a claw of sand shot out and headed straight for him.

' _Dammit, I can't move or I'll lose my concentration and then I'll be screwed. I've only got one shot at this, so it's gotta count.'_

"I don't know what you're planning, but it won't work!" Shukaku thrusted another claw forward.

"Wanna bet? **Leaf Dragon God!"** Tatsu initiated the upward spin kick, and the tornado took on the form of a dragon, the mouth of which quickly engulfed Shukaku and sent him into the air, sharp and powerful cuts being dealt all over the body, with sand spewing out in place of blood.

"You think something like this will stop me?!"

"Maybe not, but what about this?!"

Shukaku looked up to see Tatsu above him with a Shadow Clone beside him, a massive Rasengan in his hand "What?!"

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"But… But how?" Lee wondered "When did he-?"

"It was under the cover of the smoke." Neji clarified for him "That last fire dragon he used wasn't meant to hurt him, it was to provide a cover so he could use the clones and make that last attack. The tornado dragon was just the first part of his plan."

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"Take this Shukaku, straight from the 4th Hokage's handbook! **Giant Rasengan!"** Tatsu fired an enhanced Rasengan that grinded against Shukaku's stomach, sending him crashing to the ground at the bottom of the pit below.

"You… little…" when Gaara emerged, it wasn't a pretty sight. A ragged and bloody mark had been grinded into his stomach, missing vital organs by just a few inches to the point where if Tatsu had gone a little further with the attack, it wouldn't cut him in half if not killed him.

"It's over…" Tatsu let out several heavy, exhausted pants "You're too… wounded to fight…"

"Never!" Shukaku raised a hand, summoning sand, and thrusted it at Tatsu again.

Tatsu wanted to, but he knew he couldn't avoid it ' _So this is where the Chunin Exams end for me. Sorry, I tried… Kazuma… everyone…'_ he shut his eyes, expecting the impact, but nothing came.

The sand began dissolving, Shukaku let out a long blood-curdling scream, and Gaara took advantage of Shukaku's weakened state to regain control. When that was done, he coughed violently before passing out and collapsing.

Hayate dropped back to the ground "The winner is Tatsu Kamikaze."

Cheers erupted from the balcony.

Tatsu managed a weak smile ' _It's over… I won… sure I'd beaten him by chance, but I didn't expect him to be so damn wild. But that's not gonna happen again, next time I'll beat him no question and I'll do it on my own power, no Tenseigan or anything.'_ he wasn't sure when he passed out after that, but he did, and hit the ground with a loud yet dull thud, before he was taken away on a stretcher.

Hayate breathed a sigh of relief ' _It's finally over._ And with that match, the Third Exam preliminaries are now finished."

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The next hour was used to repair the floors using Earth-style jutsu.

Once that was done, Hayate addressed the remaining candidates "I commend all those who have advanced to the finals of the third level of the Chunin Exams. There's one person missing but still, congratulations."

Sarutobi counted it down ' _Including the absent Tatsu, we have 8 ninja from the Hidden Leaf, 2 from the Sand, and 1 from the Sound._ And now I will begin with the explanation of the final rounds."

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"In the final rounds, each of you will put your battle skills on display." explained Sarutobi "You will demonstrate the power and control that you've achieved in your respective disciplines. Accordingly, the final battles will commence one month from now."

"Wait, we're not doing it right here and now?" asked Naruto.

"This is to provide a suitable period of preparation."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Neji.

"Simply this: In addition to announcing the conclusion of the preliminary matches to each country's leaders, we must also have some time to prepare and distribute the summit for the final selection, not to mention that you examinees are going to need time to prepare for something this important. To know your adversaries and prepare yourselves, you'll need time. Even though up to this point, all of your battles have been real battles as I'm sure you can all attest, they were conducted on the premise that you were fighting an unknown enemy. But that's no longer the case now that you've battled each other, so in order to make the finals fair and just, we're giving you this month. Each of you must embrace the opportunity and practice hard and learn some new tricks because by now everyone knows your techniques, so using your old tired tricks is a sure way to lose in the finals, and remember to get some rest as well."

Naruto knew well how serious it was ' _This isn't just some vacation, I won't have any time to relax. I've gotta train harder than ever.'_

"Now with all of that behind us, I'd like to begin winding things up. But before we can bring this to an end, first there is one more important matter to take care of for the final rounds."

"Let's get on with it, how long do we have to wait until we start training?"

"In a calm orderly fashion, all of you are going to take one slip of paper from the box Anko is holding."

They did.

"Good, now everyone has one." Ibiki noted "Going from left to right, tell me the number written on your slip of paper."

"10." said Dosu.

"1." said Naruto.

"7." said Temari.

"5." said Kankuro.

"3." said Lee.

"6." said Shino.

"8." said Shikamaru.

"2." said Neji.

"11." said Sasuke.

"And that would make Tatsu 4." Sarutobi noted "Very good, now I'm going to tell you about how the finals are going to work."

"Is that what the numbers are for?" Shikamaru guessed "Drawing lots?"

"Ibiki, you may reveal which ninja have been paired up."

"Yes sir." Ibiki held out a chart revealing the matches:

Match 1: Naruto vs Neji

Match 2: Lee vs Tatsu

Match 3: Kankuro vs Shino

Match 4: Temari vs Shikamaru

Match 5: Ino vs Dosu.

Match 6: Sasuke vs Winner of Match 1

"If I may." Sasuke spoke up "If this is a tournament, does that mean there will only be one winner? As in only one can become a chunin?"

"Quite the contrary actually." Sarutobi told him "There are going to be several judges for the final rounds, including myself, the shinobi leaders, and the Kazekage, the lords from the various countries that ultimately will be assigning your missions to you. Through this tournament, the judges will be able to make a thorough evaluation of your abilities. They will then decide whether any or all of you possess the qualities required of a chunin. Even if someone loses the first round, they could still become a chunin."

"So there's a chance all of us could become chunin?" asked Lee.

"Correct, but there's also conversely a chance that none of you will be chosen. The advantage in fighting more rounds in the tournament means getting more chances to display your talents to the judges who will decide your fate. Now then Sasuke, does that answer your question?"

Sasuke nodded "It does."

"I thank you all for your patience, now let us adjourn until next month."

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Kakashi soon met up with Naruto outside the hospital "First off Naruto, congratulations on making it to the finals. Now about your training-"

"Hold on a second." Naruto cut him off "About my training, I was actually hoping to wait until Tatsu woke up."

"Alright. By the way, where's Sasuke?"

"He said he had something to check on and took off."

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Sasuke entered a room and found Dosu in front of him "Where's your teammates?"

"Gone." Dosu told him grimly "Kabuto got them."

"I knew there was something off about that guy." Sasuke knelt down and checked for any signs of Kabuto's movements "I think I can track him, let's move."

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Kabuto looked down at Zaku and Kin, bound in front of him "What a shame, it seems you've just about outlived your usefulness to Lord Orochimaru."

"Let us go you son of a bitch!" Zaku barked.

"Such disrespect, you're lucky Lord Orochimaru still has some use for you."

"We did everything he told us, let us go!" Kin barked.

"Again with the disrespect, it makes me wonder why Lord Orochimaru has kept you around for as long as he has." he drew a knife and threw it behind him, then addressed the one who caught it without looking at him "Well well Kakashi, foiling my attack by striking from my blindspot? But now are you ready to take me on? Next time you should station at least 10 guards."

Kakashi looked at the Anbu corpses on the floor ' _The Anbu Black Ops unit I assembled was defeated so easily._ You're not an ordinary genin, you caught a whiff of me and immediately readied your weapon. Quite impressive."

"You overestimate me."

"So what do you want with these two? Finding you like this, standing before two genin from another village tied up against their will, I oughta haul you in for questioning."

"What, just you? I wonder if you could."

"Are you looking to take me on? I know who you are, you're the Leaf Medical Corps Chief's son. Your name, what was it? Kabuto Yakushi. What are you, one of Orochimaru's puppets?"

"Even if you did take me into custody, you'd never be able to prove I have any connection to him."

"Just answer my question."

"And if I say no?"

"I'm the one asking the questions, now give me some answers."

"Look you'll have your answers soon enough, even if I'm not here. So why don't we skip the middleman and let me go?"

"You smart-alecky little brat, I'll teach you to mess around with grownups." Kakashi drew a kunai.

Kabuto drew a knife "Come on give me a break, don't be so arrogant. The cards are clearly in my favor here." he pointed it at Kin and Zaku, a bead of sweat running down his cheek.

Kakashi quickly blitzed forward and disarmed him, then pinned him to the ground and caught him in an armlock "I should've known."

His Shadow Clone stopped one of the Anbu from making for the door.

Then another Anbu bolted up, broke a window and jumped through, removing his mask to reveal the real Kabuto as he disappeared into the trees below.

"I can't believe I let him escape." Kakashi looked as the other Anbu collapsed, then he went over to Kabuto's fake corpse "Impressive. Just as I suspected, the Dead Soul Jutsu, where a ninja temporarily animates and controls a dead body, even transforming its face. Kabuto even stopped his own heart and eliminated all traces of his scent in order to escape by impersonating a murder Anbu. Being raised as the adopted son of the chief of the Medical Corp is a powerful asset of his, if it turns out that someone as good as him is working for Orochimaru then I've got to work harder."

"Kakashi."

He looked to see Sasuke and Dosu in the doorway "Sasuke…"

"Kabuto's working for Orochimaru."

"Looks that way."

"First, let me make something clear. These ninja, Orochimaru used them, treated them just like any other pawn. They're not the bad guys here."

"I know. Kabuto said he could make some use out of these two here, probably test subjects for a forbidden jutsu Orochimaru plans to use." he quickly cut them free.

Zaku stood first, with Kin following "Thanks for the save, but now I think we're gonna on our way."

"To where?" asked Sasuke "Let's be real, there's no way you can even get out of this village without Orochimaru or one of his goons tracking you down and capturing you, if not killing you right then and there."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Well, I've been thinking about what to do with you guys and I think I've come up with something that should work, at least for the time being. Dosu can stay with me in my clan's compound and train with the others, while you two can hide out somewhere Orochimaru and Kabuto will never be able to find you."

"Where would this be?"

"Give me a second." Sasuke pulled out a small vile.

"What's that?"

"Some of Tatsu's blood, I need it for the jutsu." he poured it on the ground, formed some hand seals, and slammed his hand into the ground " **Summoning Jutsu!"**

A medium-sized red dragon appeared " **Tatsu, I told you not to- Oh Sasuke, it's been awhile. Where's Tatsu?"**

"I was the one who summoned you here Hiryu, I need a favor."

" **Name it."**

"You see these two?" Sasuke gestured to Kin and Zaku "They're being targeted by Orochimaru."

" **And you want me to hide them in my home so he can't find them. So be it, just have them each place a hand on me."**

They did so.

" **Alright, when should they be brought back?"**

"After the finals in a month. I really appreciate this."

" **Sure, just be sure to let Tatsu know about this."** and Hiryu, Zaku and Kin all disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Alright, that's done."

"So you sent them to the home of a summoning animal." Dosu realized "You knew that Orochimaru would never be able to get there because he can't do the Reverse-Summoning without the contract."

"Exactly. Now then…" Sasuke turned to Dosu "What do you know about his plans?"

"I know he planned to give you a Curse Mark, and I know he's planning something for the finals, but I don't know what. That's about it."

"I see." Sasuke turned to Kakashi "We should tell the Hokage."

"But we can't without gathering evidence." Kakashi pointed out "He knows something's going on with Orochimaru, but none of us know what. In any case, we're already on high alert for that reason, so just keep an eye on this one for now."

"Right."

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"Ow…" Tatsu slowly came to and winced at the light directly above him "Whoever came up with the idea to put the light right above someone's face, I'll find you and punch you." he tried to sit up but winced from the pain "Ow…"

Then a nurse came in and dropped her clipboard in shock "You're awake? With those injuries we thought you'd be out for at least a week."

"Well to be fair, I've always been a fighter. How long was I out anyway?"

"About 3 days, though you've been awake and feverish some of the time." she got to work changing the bandages on his wounds "Now don't move, your jonin will be here soon to check on you." and then she took her leave.

' _Okay, knowing Kakashi, that means I've got about 2 hours.'_

"Tatsu!" then Naruto, Sasuke, Lee and Kakashi all came barging in.

' _Son of a- couldn't I be right for one?'_

"Tatsu!" Naruto all but jumped on him "That was so awesome, you showed his ass!"

"I hope so, I feel like I just got run over by a stampede of angry rhinos. Or Choji when someone calls him fat. Honestly I'm not sure which is worse."

Kakashi cleared his throat "As thrilling as it is to have you back, we need to fill you in on what's been going on."

"Oh I know, I could hear everything while I was unconscious. So that Sound guy Dosu is on our side now?"

"Essentially."

"Now who's fighting who in the finals?"

"Right here." Lee showed him the scroll "We're fighting in the second match."

"...Alright!" they high-fived "So anyway, here's my plan: I've already got my own training regimen down so I'm gonna teach you and Ino some elemental jutsu. Where is Ino anyway?"

"She got held up at her family's shop, I don't think she even knows you're awake."

"Fair enough." then he looked over at Dosu in the doorway "You can join us if you want."

Dosu stared long and hard at the Sound Gauntlet on his right arm, then slowly removed it and crushed it "I'm in. I'm done with Sound, now I'm living for me."

"Okay then."

"By the way, I've already got a trainer." Naruto pointed out.

"I know, I met the guy before. Anyway, Dosu was it? Come on, I'll fill you in on the whole deal."

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Tatsu was later leading Dosu around the Leaf "So what're you gonna do once the exams are over with?"

Dosu sighed "I'm not sure really."

"I'm sure I can get the Third to make some kind of arrangement."

"If you're- Wait, what's going on over there?"

"What?"

"That." Dosu pointed to a large crowd, then went over to one of the spectators "What's going on?"

"See for yourself." the guy pointed to where Ino and Sakura were arguing, and from the look of it things were getting really intense.

"What's your problem Forehead?" Ino yelled "I've got more important things to do than stay here and argue with you!"

"My problem is you!" Sakura barked "How could you do that to me? Now everywhere I go people give me this dirty look like I did something wrong!"

"Well guess what Forehead, you did do something wrong! So what if Naruto doesn't have the best reputation and Tatsu by extension for siding with him, no ninja would just abandon them after they came to save their lives, not to mention how you blatantly disregarded what Sasuke might've wanted and dragged him with you! What happened to you is your own damn fault because you were such a coward!"

"I'm not a coward! So what if I left Naruto and Tatsu alone, it's their fault for acting so cool all the time!"

"Would you listen to yourself? How far have you fallen Haruno? You know what, I don't care anymore. If you wanna be a selfish cold-hearted bitch then go ahead, just stay the hell away from me!" and she turned her back to her.

"Don't turn your back on me swine!" Sakura furiously whipped out a kunai and thrusted it towards the back of Ino's neck.

That was when Dosu stepped in and stopped Sakura's kunai with his own "I think that's enough of that."

"This isn't any of your business outsider, get lost."

"Well I'm making it my business. Is this how kunoichi are in this village, you don't like what people say and you hurl a kunai at them? You basically just attempted murder."

"Is that so?" that was when the older generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho showed up, glaring holes into Sakura, who gulped and backed away, only to be caught via shadow and restrained "Sakura Haruno, in compliance of the Shinobi Code, you are hereby under arrest on the charge of attempted murder."

Choza and Shikaku took her away.

Inoichi turned to Dosu "I have to thank you for protecting my daughter…"

"Dosu, Dosu Kinuta." Dosu told him.

"Right, thank you Dosu. I'm a little surprised, I expected someone else."

"You mean me?" Tatsu walked up "I would've, but Dosu here clearly had it covered. Anyway, Ino, Dosu, I want you two to meet me at the Training Grounds in an hour. I've got a few people in mind who can teach you guys something going outside of what you're used to."

"And that would be?" asked Dosu.

"Elemental jutsu."

 **A/N:**

 **Among the revisions in this chapter include expanding on the Sasuke vs Yoroi fight, giving Dragon an early debut and rewriting/ expanding on the Sakura vs Ino fight in order to give Ino some proper character development, and expand on how in my story, Sakura is basically psychotic with no idea of how the world works.**

 **So yes, Tatsu won and Gaara isn't in the finals, and this is by far the longest fight scene I've ever written that isn't a huge final battle, but it's also one that I enjoyed writing out the most.**

 **I'm not writing out the training because that's boring as fuck, let me just say that Naruto has the 5-Pronged Seal removed and he can access Kurama's chakra again, and Dosu learsn some elemental jutsu of his own, that I plan to show off later on in the story.**

 **Just to point this out, Tatsu won't use the Tenseigan Chakra Mode very often without being potentially corrupted by the power, mainly because it's unstable. Like a wise man once said, absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, he won't be using it that much for quite some time, and until then it'll only be against opponents he know will kill him.**

 **Yes, Sasuke and the others know that Kabuto is a bad guy, and now Dosu is training with Tatsu and the others for the finals, while Zaku and Kin are at the home of the dragon summons.**

 **Ino has a primary water nature and a secondary lightning nature in my story, the former of which has already been shown somewhat as of the rewritten battle between Sakura and Ino.**

 **Sakura is out of the story for the time being, this isn't the last time we'll be seeing her but it will be in the Shippuden half of this story.**


	7. Chaotic Finals, Invasion Begins

**KeybladeMasterRiku:** Glad you think so, I enjoyed writing that fight a lot.

 **Sarahgri99:** I'm glad to see you enjoyed it, because I enjoyed writing it.

 **Dai sennin kurosaki d naruto:** I think a better question is, why did no one stop Gaara from crippling Lee in canon? Besides, Tatsu still had the full force of his Tenseigan, which gave him the power to rival a Tailed Beast, so I highly doubt that's actually an issue.

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The big day arrived.

Naruto, Tatsu, Lee, Neji, Ino, Temari, Kankuro, Sasuke, Shino, Shikamaru and Dosu all stood in the arena, the massive crowd of spectators all watching them.

Genma was acting as the proctor instead of Hayate "You guys are the heroes of this final competition."

Then Sarutobi stepped up from his spectator box with the Kazekage "Welcome all, and our deepest thanks for coming here to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for this year's Chunin Selection. We have come to the final competition between the 11 candidates who made it through the preliminaries. We ask that no one leaves until all the matches have been completed, now everyone enjoy."

"Alright, listen up. The terrain is different, but the rules are the same as before. That is that there are no rules. The match continues until one candidate acknowledges defeat or dies. That is to say, if I determine that a match is over then I can step in and stop it at any time and no arguments permitted. Understood?" no objections "There are the opponents for the first match, Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Those two stay, the rest of you can go to the waiting area."

They did, but Naruto and Neji stayed.

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"Hey Hinata check it out, I found a few free seats." Kiba pointed to a few seats in the front row of the crowd.

"O-Oh, thank you." Hinata sat down next to Kiba and gave him a small smile.

"I don't know about you but I think this is gonna be one hell of an interesting match."

"Yes. _Naruto…'_

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Ino glanced over at Tatsu "So what do you think, about the fight between Naruto and Neji I mean. Do you think Naruto can beat him?"

"I think that if anyone who actually knows Naruto and thinks about it then it's gonna be pretty much obvious." Tatsu told her bluntly.

"Meaning what exactly?"

"Exactly what you should expect if you know me, Naruto's gonna give him an ass kicking that he's long deserved."

"You think so? Well you've always had more faith in him than anyone else, I never really understood why until I saw his fight with Kiba. I have to admit I'm kind of surprised he lasted as long as he did, but if he actually can beat Neji then I'll definitely have some newfound respect for him."

"He will, but we're definitely going to be in for a long fight.

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Neji gave an arrogant smirk "You got anything to say to me?"

Naruto held out a fist "Only what I told you last time, I vow to win!"

Neji activated his Byakugan ' _He has the look, he's calmer now and more sure of himself.'_ he got into a Gentle Fist stance "So much the better for me, I can't wait to see the look of despair on your face when you learn that your foolish vow is impossible to keep."

"Are we gonna stand here talking all day? Let's get going, show me what you've got."

"As you wish."

"Alright, now let the first match begin." Genma made the call.

"Are you ready to see why your destiny can never be changed?"

"How about I shove that up your ass instead!" Naruto fired off a volley of kunai and promptly charged forward.

"Naruto you idiot!" Kiba barked from the stands "There's no way in hell a frontal attack is gonna work on this guy!"

"We'll see about that!" Naruto let a barrage of punches and kicks fly forward.

"You should've listened to him." Neji caught Naruto by his left arm and attempted to fling him away.

Naruto regained his footing and fired off another barrage of punches.

Neji blocked every strike with ease and struck Naruto in the chest using his Palm Heel Strike technique, followed by him attempting to strike Naruto in the shoulder, sending him tumbling backwards a short distance ' _I missed the chakra point, he knew exactly what I had been aiming for then.'_

' _That was way too close.'_ Naruto pulled himself back to his feet ' _I almost fucked that up big time, if I get too close to him then he can turn off my chakra and there goes my ability to use any jutsu. I'll have to hang back and hit him from a distance with some long range jutsu of some kind.'_

"Do you understand now then? You don't have any way to defeat me."

"Get your head out of your ass genius, I was just checking you out that's all. But now that we're both all warmed up, we can get this started. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned four Shadow Clones ' _And people say that I don't like to use my head, that will show all of them!'_

' _Shadow Clones, but that is supposed to be a jonin level technique, so where did he learn a jutsu like that exactly? I see now, that's actually quite a clever move. He's distributed his chakra evenly amongst these clones so that even my Byakugan can't pick out which one of them is the real one._ Not bad but it doesn't matter, you can't hide from me for too long."

"I think we'll just have to see about that!"

"If you're coming then come on. _It won't make any difference how many clones he uses, I can defeat this imbecile on my defence alone.'_

"As if you had to ask, but let me make this clear to you first. I don't want you to ever, and I mean ever, count me out!" and he had his clones charge in.

Neji dodged and blocked the attacks from the clones with ease, but wasn't able to react fast enough to avoid what came next.

"I gotcha!" Naruto blitzed forward with speed that caught Neji off guard and dealt him a swift uppercut kick to the jaw, sending him flying through the air.

Neji rebounded almost instantly and gracefully landed back on the ground "Not bad I'll admit, but I doubt you can pull that off again."

"Why don't you come and find out!" Naruto had his clones charge forward.

Neji leapt into the air and with a few swift movements he kicked and palm thrusted all four of the clones out of existence "You were saying?"

' _What the hell is with this guy, it's like he's got eyes in the back of his head!'_

"Did you really think you could become the Hokage? Such a thing is absurd, and it could never happen. I can see many things thanks to these eyes of mine, one thing they've shown me is that the limitations of people are set, fixed and cannot be changed. Only a fool wastes his time trying to become something he can never be."

"So I'm a fool then am I?" Naruto clenched his fist "There's no way I'm dealing with any of this crap again, who the hell do you think you are to decide what a person can or can't be?"

"Do you think anyone can become Hokage, that all it takes is a little bit of hard work? Open your eyes to the truth, of all of the shinobi in all of the world, think of how few of them have ever become the Hokage, or Kage at all for that matter. They were born destined to be the Hokage of legend, it's not something to become by merely trying to become it. They were chosen by destiny itself. Each person is given their own path to follow, and they must follow it with obedience until the very end. There is only one destiny we all share equally, and that is death."

Naruto found himself frozen in place as he and Neji locked eyes ' _The look in his eyes, they show so much hatred…_ Yeah, well so what? I say you can think that way as much as you want, people always tell me that I just don't know when to give up, but I say that I just don't like to give up, and there's a huge difference. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned a massive army of Shadow Clones and they all charged forward.

Wasting no time, Neji weeded out the original and started beating him down, only to be forced to retreat by the barrage of Shadow Clones, but he quickly dispatched a considerable number of them with a few simple strikes.

' _Dammit this is bad, I'm not even getting close to this guy.'_

"Do you really think I can be fooled with a trick like that one? You can conjure up as many clones as you like, you won't be able to hide from me." he blitzed past the large crowd of Shadow Clones and struck the real Naruto right in the chest, causing him to cough up blood and the clones to disappear "You're the only one keeping out of my range for fear of my striking your chakra points like this. The more the others attack the more you stand out for holding back. That would make you the real one wouldn't it? I told you it was pointless, it's not my fault you didn't listen."

"Oh… Oh yeah?" Naruto spat out some blood and let out a chuckle "Well I remember telling you that it was a mistake to count me out." and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the- When did he- How did he-?" Neji whipped around to find two more of them charging at him ' _So that's it then, he held back one of his Shadow Clones in order to deceive me and lure me into a trap!'_

"What you thought I'd be too much of a chicken to attack you myself? Well you've got another thing coming! **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he and his clone both breathed out medium sized balls of fire.

' _It might injure me, but I have no choice!_ **8 Trigrams Palm Rotation!"** Neji surrounded himself in a dome of wind based chakra, dispelling the fireballs and blowing Naruto away while dissipating his clone, although he received a few minor burns in the process.

"What the hell was that supposed to be?"

"The reality of your situation, a good trick perhaps but it was nowhere near enough for you to defeat me."

"We'll see about that! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** with the formation of a hand seal he summoned 6 more Shadow Clones and they circled around Neji.

' _My Byakugan allows me to see almost 360 degrees, I can detect any attack as soon as it's been launched so his movements are pointless. That's when my real defence comes into play, the 8 Trigrams Palm Rotation.'_

" **Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** the clones all fired off a barrage of shuriken and formed some hand seals that caused the shuriken to multiply mid assault.

" **8 Trigrams Palm Rotation!"** Neji unleashed his Rotation, cancelling out the shuriken and sending both Naruto and his clones flying.

Naruto pulled himself back to his feet "Dammit…"

"This is the end for you, you're in my range and it's impossible for you to escape from my Eight Trigrams. **Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams 64 Palms! 8 Trigrams 2 palm! 4 palm! 8 palm! 16 palm! 32 palm!"** he blitzed towards Naruto and started dealing him a fierce barrage of blows in all of his chakra points, sending Naruto crashing to the ground in a heap.

Genma made his way over to where Naruto was trying and failing to get up ' _This one took a major beating, it looks to me like it's over.'_

"I have now struck you in all 64 of your chakra points, at this point you're lucky to still be able to breathe at all."

"D-Dammit…" Naruto spat out some blood and tried to force himself back to his feet, but to no avail.

"It must be quite frustrating for you to realize just how utterly hopeless it turned out to be, that little dream of yours. You thought you could succeed through hard work alone, but such a thing is only found in a fantasy."

Naruto slowly lifted his head, his vision growing blurry as he thought back to the events of the preliminaries ' _Tatsu… Hinata…_ Not a chance in hell…" he gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet.

"But that's impossible, how are you even standing?"

"It's like I told you… some way I don't know… when to give up… but I say… I just don't like to give up… There's a huge difference…"

"Stop with this madness already, you'll only get more of the same. I don't have anything against you personally."

"Oh yeah that's real touching, you're gonna make me cry. Anyway, I've got a hell of a lot personally against you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't? And here I thought you were some big shot know it all, you don't remember what you did to Hinata then do you? The way you screwed her over with your stupid mind games, going out of your way to rip her apart when she worked so hard to get as far as she did."

"Never mind something like that, it has nothing to do with you."

"You mocked Hinata and called her a failure, all of that crap about how great the Hyuga clan is supposed to be, main households and branch families, what a bunch of bullshit! It doesn't give you the right to decide who fails and who doesn't, that's what I've got against you!"

"...So that's it then. So be it, if you're as interested as you claim to be then I'll give you a better understanding of the heritage of hatred that embodies the Hyuga clan! For generations the main household of the clan has practiced a secret jutsu known as the Curse Mark jutsu."

"Curse Mark jutsu?"

"The Curse Mark is the symbol of a bird locked in its cage, it's the mark of those who are bound to a destiny they cannot escape." he pulled off his headband, revealing the Curse Mark branded on his forehead.

"So, that thing is the Curse Mark?"

"It is. I was only four years old when the leaders of my clan branded this symbol on my forehead with their Curse Mark jutsu, and on that same day a great celebration took place for the people of the Hidden Leaf Village. After many years of war, a peace agreement had at last been reached with the Land of Lightning and they had sent the head ninja of the Hidden Cloud to sign the treaty and join in the celebration. Everyone was there to welcome our old enemies, whether they be genin or jonin or even any ordinary civilians. Only one clan was absent, and that was the Hyuga clan, because this was the day on which the heiress to the main household was to turn three."

"You mean-?"

"That's right, it was Lady Hinata's third birthday." he glanced up at the stands "Lady Hinata's father Lord Hiashi is sitting up there in the stands as we speak, he and my father Hizashi were twin brothers, and yet he entered this world first so as the firstborn he was made into the head of the clan. As a result of this, my father and his twin brother was banished to a lesser branch of the family. It was then on the day that the heir to the main household turned three that the Curse Mark was placed upon me and I was turned into a metaphorical bird in a cage by my very own uncle."

"You and this clan of yours, what's the point of all of it? Why bother to have a main family and a branch family, and this weird Curse Mark? What the heck does that mean anyway?"

"I can assure you of one thing, it's not simply for decoration. It's the instrument by which they keep us in our place, we live with the fear that they will use this Curse Mark to turn our brains into jelly any time they wish. Fear, that is what we live with and we live with it every single day of our lives. Only in death can we be free of it. Only those of the Hyuga clan possess the secret of this unique form of Kekkei Genkai, and of course there are many who would steal it from us as well. That is the reason for which we exist, it is the purpose of the branch family to defend that secret and to serve the keepers of the secret, the main household, with obedience without question for all of eternity. That is our destiny, or it was until that dreadful night they finally went too far, when they murdered my father. One night someone entered the main household and abducted Lady Hinata. Lord Hiashi acted quickly and he caught and killed the man, and who was this intruder you may be wondering, stealing through the shadows in the middle of the night and wearing a mask over his face to conceal his identity?"

"Who was it?"

"It was none other than the head ninja from the Hidden Cloud of the Land of Lightning, the man who had just signed off on an alliance with us. It was obvious to everyone that he was after the secrets of the Byakugan, but the Land of Lightning professed shock at this willful murder of their ninja. They claimed that the Hidden Leaf was in violation of the treaty and they demanded recompense as a result. Things continued to get worse and worse until it looked like war would break out yet again between our villages. The Hidden Leaf Village wanted above all things to avoid a war so at last they made a deal, a life for a life. The Land of Lightning had demanded the death of the person who had slain their ninja, so if there was to be peace then Lord Hiashi would have to die. The Leaf Village accepted their terms, and so to avert a war a man was killed, but it wasn't Hiashi. My father was his twin brother as I stated before, and because of that he was killed in place of Lord Hiashi in order to protect the main household! Only in death was my father finally free of this evil Curse Mark. They were twin brothers that were so much alike, but their destinies had been determined long ago when one was born only mere seconds after the other one. And this match is the same, your destiny was decided the very moment I was chosen to be your opponent. It's your destiny to lose to me, and it's as simple as that." he tied his headband back on.

"Oh yeah is that right, well I say we won't know until you actually beat me now will we? Okay I get it, so your father was killed a long time ago, and I know it wasn't fair and I get why you're upset about that, but that doesn't have anything to do with destiny. If you think I'm buying that then you've got another thing coming."

"I don't expect you to ever understand." Neji promptly reactivated his Byakugan, blitzed forward towards Naruto at full speed and landed a palm strike straight to the chest, sending him tumbling backwards. Then he glanced over at Genma "It's over now proctor, this battle is over and he's a failure just as I believed him to be." he started to walk away, when a voice stopped him.

"Hold it…" Naruto struggled but he managed to pull himself back to his feet "Don't you… even think about… walking away from me… I'm not done with you… not yet… I don't quit… and I don't go back on my word… that's my nindo… my ninja way…"

"That does sound familiar, so that's where she got it from."

"All of that crap about destiny, well if you really believe it then why the hell are you the one walking away?"

"You impudent little brat, why should I bother to waste any more of my breath explaining this to the likes of you? We are all given a destiny at birth, and it's pointless to fight against it. You have no idea what it's like to be branded with a mark that sets you apart from everyone else, a mark that can never be wiped away."

"Oh trust me, I know damn well what that's like better than you'll ever imagine. Well big deal, cry me a river."

"You worthless little son of a-"

"Man you think you've got problems. Well I've got some news for you Neji, you're not the only one who's special around here. Did it ever occur to you that Hinata might be suffering just as much as you are? It's not her fault that her father was born ahead of yours, and yet you resent her for it. You treat her like shit even when she's trying so hard to improve herself. All she wanted was for you to respect her, that's what she was fighting for even though it almost ended up getting her killed, and what was that all about anyway? I thought it was your destiny to serve the main household, not to beat it to a bloody pulp. After all you said about how you can't fight off your destiny, you don't really believe any of that crap either do you?" he suddenly let out a weak hacking cough.

"I've already blocked all 64 of your chakra points, how do you intend to keep fighting when you can't use any of your chakra against me? It's fitting that you sympathize with Hinata because you're about to share her fate."

"You wanna bet? You think that Byakugan of yours sees everything, you know everyone's weakness don't you?"

"Yes that's right, but if you're the one who thinks he can prove me wrong then I say be my guest."

"As if you had to ask, I'm gonna show you that you're wrong about a lot of things, starting right now! _Yeah that's easier said than done, it doesn't feel like I have any chakra at all. I haven't felt so totally drained since that time when I was training with the Pervy Sage. Wait that's it, I can use Kurama's chakra!'_ he paused in order to focus himself properly ' _Alright Kurama I know you're in there so listen up, if you're there then I'm gonna need you to give me a good chunk of power you got it?'_

" _ **I know I know, just get this over with. This Hyuuga brat is starting to get on my nerves right about now."**_

' _How do you think I feel? I'm the one fighting him.'_

" _ **And look how that's turning out."**_

' _Exactly. HEY!'_

Neji glanced over at Genma "Proctor this battle has gone on long enough, I suggest you stop the match. If my opponent is foolish enough to continue with this battle then I will not be held responsible for what happens to him."

Genma let out a sigh "Fine, whatever you want."

"Thank you sir."

"Not so fast." Naruto formed a hand seal.

"It's pointless, I already told you this."

"You wanna bet? _I can do this, I won't lose, not to him!'_

"Why do you even bother, you don't even have any chakra to lose. Why do you even bother to fight such a hopeless battle in a desperate attempt to defy your destiny?"

"You really wanna know why? It's because people have always called me a failure, and now I'm gonna prove them wrong!" a crimson glow of chakra gathered around his body as his wounds began to heal themselves.

' _What the- It can't be, where is this chakra coming from? It shouldn't be possible, just what is he?!'_

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Tatsu gave a smirk aimed at the others in the waiting area "See you guys, I told you Naruto had this in the bag. I say we've only got another minute or two before Neji gets his ass handed to him. _That said, it took Kurama long enough to pull his muzzle out of his tails and help the idiot out. Well nothing to do about it now, all I can do is sit back and enjoy the show, which I fully intend to do._

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Neji was forced to brace himself from the sheer force and potency of Kurama's chakra that was enveloping the area ' _This chakra, just what exactly is he? What kind of chakra is this, or is it even chakra at all?_

' _This is awesome, this is even more power than I felt before, and I like it!_ Get ready Neji, because I'm coming for you!" with a sudden burst of speed Naruto blitzed behind Neji and fired off a volley of shuriken " **Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** and with the formation of a few hand seals the shuriken multiplied.

" **8 Trigrams Palm Rotation!"** Neji activated his Rotation to protect himself from the barrage of shuriken, catching a few of them and firing them off himself.

Naruto blitzed out of view and dodged the shuriken with ease.

' _He's even faster than before, what's going on here?'_ Neji quickly dodged a blow from behind and fired off a volley of shuriken.

" **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** Naruto fired off a red colored slash of wind from his fingertips that cut clean through the jutsu " **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he breathed out a large red fireball that was enhanced by the Crimson Wind jutsu.

Neji leapt out of the way, only to end up receiving a sharp kick to the head from Naruto, sending him tumbling to the ground ' _His strength and speed are on a completely different level from before!'_

"Alright Neji, I hear that you like close combat do you? It might be the way of the Hyuga to cave into destiny but it's not mine! If you think there's no point to fighting it then don't, just stand there and take it!" and so Naruto charged forward at full speed "I'm gonna change the way of the Hyuga clan, and I'll do it after I become the Hokage!"

' _Quickly, I'll only have one shot at this!_ **8 Trigrams Palm Rotation!"** Neji quickly activated his Rotation.

" **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** Naruto summoned wind chakra into his fingertips and slashed down on the Rotation, the two jutsu colliding and resulting in the explosion that followed, before the smoke cleared to reveal two craters where Naruto and Neji once stood.

Genma braced himself for the backlash and observed the situation once things had calmed down slightly ' _Damn that kids got some real fire in him, never seen anything like it. No way that kid from the Hyuga could've…'_

As the smoke cleared, Neji pulled himself out of one of the two craters coughing up a large amount of dirt and dust, stumbling slightly from the backlash as he made his way over to the second crater where Naruto appeared to be lying unconscious ' _I didn't expect his apparent second wind to be capable of so much raw power and force.'_

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Lee let out a sigh "That's the secret of the 8 Trigrams Palm Rotation, not only does it protect the user from attacks but it also turns the user's own chakra against them."

"You say that like Naruto already lost." Tatsu pointed out.

"I doubt I would be able to get up from a collision like that unscathed, but regardless of that no one has come as close to beating Neji as Naruto has."

"Don't call it just yet, keep in mind that I'm a sensory type."

"...He has another last ditch trick up his sleeve doesn't he?"

"Why don't you look down there and find out?"

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Neji slowly limped over to where Naruto apparently lay unconscious in the crater, and he let out a chuckle "Sorry, but this is the reality of the world. You fought hard and well, and I admit that you almost had me, but in the end you're still a failure. This match is over-" he was promptly cut off by what happened next.

" **Wind Style: Crimson Wind Fist!"** condensing the chakra of his Crimson Wind jutsu into his fist, Naruto suddenly burst up from the ground and dealt Neji a fierce uppercut while he was distracted, the force blowing him clear off his feet and sending him tumbling several feet backwards, while the version of him that was in the crater suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I… I can't move…"

"And I can't feel my arm, I say we're even."

Genma looked on with a smirk of approval ' _He used one of his Shadow Clones as bait and waited for a chance to take Neji down, even when he was getting his ass pounded into the ground he never stopped planning out his next move. He never lost any faith in his ability to win this match. Naruto knows on instinct that believing in yourself can give you the power to change your destiny, and on top of that he's got one hell of a left hook.'_

"So you wanna do anymore preaching?"

Neji promptly coughed up a small amount of blood "I should've guessed you would use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, it's you're specialty after all. I grew careless and I let down my guard at the last moment."

Slowly, Naruto limped over to Neji "For the record, I failed the graduation exam three times because there was this one jutsu that was always on the exam and it tripped me up every time. It was the one jutsu that I just couldn't master. The fucking Clone Jutsu. So don't come whining to me with this destiny stuff, and stop trying to tell me you can't change what you are. You can do it to because unlike me you're not a failure, you're a genius."

Genma smirked and called it "The winner is, Naruto Uzumaki."

The crowd let out a thunderous applause.

Naruto looked up somewhat bashfully, then pumped up a fist and slowly made his way back up to the competitor's box.

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Lee let out a primal roar as he ripped off his leg warmers and ripped them to pieces "An amazing match, now to show the world what I can do! TANTRUM!" he jumped down into the arena and let out another primal roar.

"...What's wrong with him?" Dosu finally asked.

Tatsu sighed "The idiot must've gotten into my stash of Tantrum again."

"Wait, you have Tantrum?"

"My brother heard it was being discontinued so he stocked up on 50 gallons worth of the stuff before he got killed. Well, it's all or nothing now I guess." he leapt down into the arena, then started stretching somewhat before the fight began.

Gemna stepped up "Are both fighters ready?" both nodded "Begin!" he leapt back in anticipation of a fierce brawl, but that's not what he got.

Lee held up a hand "Just a second Tatsu, I have to do something first." he knelt down and removed the weights around his legs, then launched a few kicks to test himself, and it was clear to anybody that he was much faster than before.

Tatsu nodded in approval "Nice work, looks like you haven't been wasting your time."

"Absolutely not, I tripled my usual training regimen."

"Sounds intense."

"Considering I had Guy-sensei breathing down my neck over it, what do you think? Anyway, I never quit before and I won't start now." he held out his hand "Now then Tatsu, may the best warrior win."

"I intend to." Tatsu grasped his hand, and the second he released both of them vanished in the blink of an eye.

The crowd was silent as they watched both warriors unleash their speed, with both blitzing all over the arena at speeds that ordinary people couldn't even comprehend.

Tatsu and Lee returned to view, with Lee's shin meeting Tatsu's in the middle, the shockwave from the colliding attacks slamming into and fracturing the walls.

Lee let out a slight huff "You're as fantastic as I remember Tatsu, I'm already enjoying this battle."

Tatsu nodded "I know how you feel Lee, you're awesome too. I haven't enjoyed a spar like this since I trained with my brother." he met Lee's sprint with his own, skimmed over the ground and slammed into Lee to meet the charge, arms and legs vanishing before the spectator's eyes as they went into a stationary clash.

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Tenten marvelled at the battle "Unbelievable, he's actually giving Lee a run for his money."

Kiba could only nod dumbly "I know."

"It is impressive." a voice agreed "But what's even more impressive is that they're trading blows at full power and speed at such close range and neither of them has even taken the slightest bit of damage so far."

Kiba and Tenten looked to see Kakashi behind them "Kakashi-sensei, when did you get here?"

"I've been here the whole time, I even saw Naruto defeat Neji."

"Say Kakashi." Tenten spoke up "What's the history with Lee and this Tatsu guy, how do they know each other?"

"Well, I myself didn't know much about it until Tatsu told me about 6 months ago. It started when Tatsu was about 7 and Lee was 8, back when Lee was in his first year in the academy."

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(Flashback- 9 years after Kyuubi Attack)

Lee formed some hand seals " **Clone Jutsu!"** nothing happened " **Transformation Jutsu!"** still nothing happened.

"Hey."

Lee looked back to see Tatsu doing pushups behind him "Oh, hi. What're you doing?"

"Training."

"Same, only problem is I can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu no matter how hard I try. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it."

"Maybe you're just not supposed to."

Lee's head snapped over to Tatsu ' _Who is this guy? Despite the topic of our conversation, he's so relaxed and nonchalant._ So you think I'm not supposed to be a shinobi?"

"I never said that, I said you're not meant to use ninjutsu or genjutsu, but those aren't the only areas for a ninja to excel in. For all you know, you're probably destined to be a great swordsman like my sensei Hayate."

"Maybe, but I've never been interested in using a sword."

"Alright then, maybe you're supposed to be a great taijutsu master. Look at the old Master Chen from the 3rd Great Ninja War, he's supposedly one of the greatest taijutsu masters to ever live, for all we know he could've been just as much of a hopeless case. So what if you haven't got any ninjutsu or genjutsu, devote yourself to becoming the greatest taijutsu master this world has ever seen."

Lee seemed to ponder his words for a moment.

"Well, what you decide from here on out is up to you. Later." and he walked off.

(Flashback End)

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Tenten thought back to when she and the others first became genin ' _Lee, you said that a certain someone showed you the way, and you want to become the greatest taijutsu master this world has ever seen, and that this guy was probably the only reason you didn't let Guy convert you to the Flames of Youth. Tatsu, on behalf of all of us, thank you.'_

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Lee's fist thrusted forward, but flashed past Tatsu's head when he dodged.

Tatsu's arm came up and pushed Lee's fist away, before his foot blasted towards Lee's ribs.

Lee's arm came down and slammed hard on Tatsu's arm, forcing it down just enough for him to put his hand on Tatsu's shoulder, then appear above Tatsu, one hand still on Tatsu's shoulder and both feet in the air. Lee then fisted his hand on Tatsu's gi and kicked his feet over behind Tatsu's back, with the momentum knocking Tatsu off balance, allowing Lee to hurl him towards the wall.

An instant before he made contact, Tatsu threw his arms out and unleashed a kiai (shockwave) that launched him so high into the air that he went beyond the Kage's box, before blitzing through several hand seals "Sorry Lee, but I'm gonna have to get serious!"

"Damn!" Lee's mind was racing ' _If I get hit by that I'm just asking to be fried! Still, that's what makes Tatsu such a worthy opponent.'_

" **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** Tatsu quickly breathed out a red fire dragon that blasted downward, the force making a vicious blast of hot wind rip through the stands before it even hit the ground.

' _Now's my chance!'_ Lee sprinted straight at the wall, before there was a flash of light and a fiery explosion enveloped the entire arena floor in smoke.

From high up on the arena wall, Tatsu tried to sense out Lee's chakra ' _Where is he? I know that attack was nowhere near enough to kill him, it's more than enough for most of the mooks in the arena, but not for him. Damn, he's gotten even better at concealing his chakra level. Now I can't sense him.'_

Then Lee burst from the smoke column below and ran straight up the wall, then launched himself into the air, hitting the top of the barrier separating the arena from the village "I've got you now Tatsu!" he reached Tatsu's level and lashed out with one leg.

Tatsu was caught off guard so he didn't have time to block it, taking the full blow right in the side of his jaw. He was flung back, but still managed to grab Lee by his ankle and quickly pull him in "Not yet!"

Lee saw only white as Tatsu's fist crashed into his face, missing his nose just by a few inches. His free leg came up on instinct and returned the attack full force, then came up and then back down, his heel slamming down on Tatsu's shoulder directly over his collarbone.

Tatsu tightened his grip on the leg he held, then quickly spun and hurled Lee away, slamming him into the ground below.

Both let out a sharp exhale as they made contact, then bounced right back up, before they vanished again and began slamming together all across the arena.

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"How are they still moving after that?" asked Kiba "I mean, they hit the ground at full force!"

"Kiai." explained Kakashi "It's a method most martial artists us to help them absorb an impact. Tatsu sacrificed a decent landing for a chance to hurt Lee because he knew he probably wouldn't get another chance for awhile. Think of it like a game of Shogi, you've gotta sacrifice another piece to get the one you want. There are also ways of falling in the right manner that allow for the falling warrior to spread, absorb and deflect the force of his impact so that he doesn't get hurt too seriously."

"So where does the kiai come in?" asked Tenten.

"It's a method for keeping the pressure in the lungs even. By exhaling sharply, they still retain air and the warrior can breath immediately instead of waiting for their lungs to refill with air which would've cost them a crucial few seconds."

"I'm kind of surprised." Kiba spoke up "I figured Tatsu was good, seeing how he beat Gaara and all, but Lee's keeping up so easily. I've never really seen what he's capable of at full power, but still."

"Actually, Tatsu's way ahead of Lee right now."

"No way, even with whatever bizarre tricks he's got Lee's still one of the strongest genin in this exam."

"Actually, Tatsu's not even taking this fight anywhere near as seriously as he could be."

"...What do you mean?"

Kakashi looked over at the arena floor as the clashing momentarily stopped, words were exchanged, and Tatsu did a familiar hand sign "Take a look, I think you're about to find out."

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Tatsu and Lee glanced off each other again, their fists just missing each other's faces, before they skidded apart and shot each other cocky smirks.

"Alright Tatsu, I think we should stop warming up and get serious." Lee suggested.

Tatsu nodded "I think I'm limber enough now." he formed a hand seal, blue chakra radiating around him " **Gravity Seals: Release!"** he was engulfed in a blue cloak of chakra, which then quickly evaporated and disappeared "Alright, I'm ready."

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"What the hell did he just do?" Kiba wondered.

"That is Tatsu when he gets serious." Kakashi explained, sounding rather smug "He's decided to stop toying with Rock Lee and released the Gravity Seals I gave him. Now Lee no longer has a chance of winning."

"That's where you're wrong my Eternal Rival!" an unbearable voice thundered "Lee's trained harder than ever before for this very moment. GO LEE! SHOW HIM HOW BRIGHTLY YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN!"

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Lee almost blushed ' _Dammit!'_ then he got into a stance "Tatsu, this is the moment I've been training for. Prepare yourself! **First Gate: Gate of Opening: Open!"**

Tatsu raised a curious eyebrow ' _The f*ck? His chakra shot up a good margin, but nowhere near enough to match me now.'_

"Just wait Tatsu, it gets better. **Second Gate: Gate of Rest: Open!"** his chakra shot up again, a considerable margin more than what it'd been before " **Third Gate: Gate of Life: Open!"** this one was like a bomb going off, a wave of power shooting off Lee's body and slamming into Tatsu, making him stagger. The ground beneath him began giving way under the sheer force, rubble and debris flying off in random directions. Lee's pupils vanished and his hair began standing, and his skin turned deep crimson " **Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain: Open!"** the ground beneath him began to buckle, rubble being flung around randomly.

Tatsu was forced to shield his eyes from the onslaught of debris, some of which ripping through his gi top and legs, but nothing pierced his skin.

" **Fifth Gate: Gate of Closing: Open!"** the earth itself blew away.

Tatsu flickered as he blitzed around to dodge the debris ' _Lee's chakra levels are going through the roof, I've never felt anything like it.'_

Lee staggered slightly, sweat dripping from his forehead and teeth gritting somewhat, but he wasn't hunching over like he should've been ' _Come on Lee, just endure the pain. After all, the muscles haven't snapped like they're supposed to.'_

' _From the look of it, he's finally feeling the strain.'_

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"What… What the hell is he?" Kiba wondered.

Kakashi looked stunned by the display, but then he turned to Guy, his gaze sharpening in a way few have ever seen "Guy, you didn't! You taught him how to open the Eight Gates?"

Guy merely smirked "Kakashi Kakashi, you're one to criticize. Besides, you don't know Lee like I do. Watch, you'll understand. Lee has worked hard to master the Gates, he's practiced every second of every day, opening them every chance he gets for as long as he can. Even I haven't achieved what Lee has."

"What do you mean?"

"See for yourself."

Kakashi did, and once he saw the shape Lee was in, realization hit him "That shouldn't be impossible."

"And yet it is."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Kiba.

"Lee…" Kakashi began "Lee has mastered the Gates in a way no one before him has. He's used them so often and so much for so long that his body has accepted the strain."

"Accepted it and adapted to it." Guy continued proudly "Lee's durability and endurance has enhanced to the point the muscles don't snap upon activation, nor is he as drained as someone like Kakashi would be if he activated the Gates. Lee has taken the technique and made it almost entirely his own."

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Tatsu had leapt back onto the wall of the arena ' _So he's mastered 5 of the 8 Gates to such an extent and doesn't even feel any pain?'_

"Here I come!" Lee crouched down and then pushed off, the earth buckling beneath him from the force.

' _I'd better use this new thing I've been trying out, I just hope I can endure this long enough to gather up the necessary chakra.'_ he barely got his guard up in time, the blow rattling his jaw when it connected. The two launched a barrage of attacks, their fists colliding in a way that rocked the entire arena as they fought in mid-air.

Lee was using some of Tatsu's attacks to keep himself in the air.

Tatsu's head was ringing as a blow slipped past him, making his vision go blurry, but he recovered quickly and dove back into the fray faster than Lee had anticipated, allowing Tatsu to deal a blow to Lee's face as well.

Lee went rocketing downward, flipped to his feet as he hit the ground, skidded backwards and hit the wall behind him, causing it to shatter, a deep hole blown into its surface as he stopped himself by throwing an arm out behind him, a vein bulging in his forehead as he strained himself to absorb all of the force.

Tatsu watched as Lee began yanking ' _His arm must be embedded too far into the wall, there's no way he can pull himself free.'_

As Lee continued trying to free his arm, something emerged from the wall.

' _Wait, he's not freeing himself. He's pulling!'_ Tatsu formed several hand seals.

Lee yanked a water pipe out of the wall, breaking off a sizable section when he pulled it out far enough. He immediately whipped it at his opponent.

Tatsu was forced to cancel out his technique to dodge the pipe, which missed him by the ear just barely.

Lee buried his fist into Tatsu's gut, doubling him over as the bandages began wrapping around him.

Tatsu wasn't able to regain his awareness before he was bound tighter than a mummy and unable to move.

"You took your eyes off me, a poor decision on your part." Lee flipped over so they were pointed head first at the ground, then began spinning like a tornado, picking up speed and power on the way down until the dirt began swirling, a brown and green tornado lighting up the sky, with Lee and Tatsu only recognizable as a dark smudge inside the cyclone "A new technique Tatsu! **Cyclone Lotus!"** the bottom of the cyclone blew out in a massive explosion of earth, the cyclone dissolving into nothing more than a small mass of dust, the heavier particles falling to the arena floor as earthen rain. Lee himself then shot out from the cloud below, bandages on one of his arms unraveled slightly, and he pulled Tatsu out, once again ensnared in his bandages, the cyclone disappearing as green chakra surrounded his fist "This is the end Tatsu! **Cyclone Lotus Fist!"** he thrusted the first forward.

' _Now!'_ Tatsu suddenly broke free of the restraints, blue chakra surrounding his fist " **Leaf Dragon Fist!"**

The attacks collided, enveloping the two in a ball of green and blue chakra, which then imploded and detonated in a massive explosion, the shockwave sending both warriors tumbling to the ground on opposite ends.

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Kakashi quickly felt realization hit him "At the last second, Lee transferred the chakra from the attack into his fist for one final strike, and Tatsu did the same with the chakra he'd been saving for his Leaf Dragon God."'

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Tatsu was the first to stand and coughed out blood "Okay… that hurt… more than… I thought it would…"

Lee then stood and coughed up blood "Same… here…"

"What… was that?"

"Cyclone… Lotus… Fist… new jutsu…"

"Scary… you almost… had me there…"

"It wasn't… enough…"

"A little faster… and you would've won…" that was all he could say for a moment as his breathing evened out as much as it could ' _Incredible, I never thought he'd master the 8 Gates to such an extent. He'd almost beat my Tenseigan Chakra Mode at this level, at least if it wasn't for all the strain._ "You're really something Lee, but the Eight Gates might turn out to be more of a hindrance than a help. Sure they power you up to an unbelievable extent, but the strain on your body is close to unbearable. That fact that you're still standing is impressive in itself, but you can't have much left." he took a long deep breath, his chakra radiating around him, renewed determination burning in his eyes "I can win this."

Lee seemed startled, then his red skin returned to its normal shade as his pupils returned, and he let out a bitter chuckle "You're right…" then a sound was heard similar to rubber bands snapping, and he managed one yell before his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness, but still remained standing.

Genma suddenly reappeared and looked over Lee closely, before leveling his right hand over towards Tatsu "Winner: Tatsu Kamikaze."

The crowd's reaction was immediate and ear shattering, and anyone and everyone was on their feet screaming and cheering for the battle they'd witnessed.

Tatsu let out a relieved sigh as he powered down "Good thing… he didn't… call my bluff." then he passed out then and there and was taken away on a stretcher."

A half hour intermission was called to allow several shinobi to repair the arena with Earth-style jutsu.

Once that was done, Gemna then addressed the crowd "Alright everyone, we're moving on to the next match. So Shino and Kankuro, come down."

Kankuro was sweating ' _My match doesn't matter at all now. Besides, I don't want to reveal the mechanism of my trained Crow puppet to the enemy before our plan comes to fruition._ Proctor, I withdraw."

' _What?'_

"I withdraw, so please advance to the next match." he received various boos.

"Due to Kankuro's withdraw. Shino Aburame wins by default."

Then, with a blast of wind, Temari made her way down "Hey."

"And you are?"

"It's my turn right?"

"Well you're an eager one aren't you? Fine, let's start the next match then. Hey you up there, come down."

"Oh come on." Shikamaru grumbled "Why did I have to be so early? This is such a drag."

"Shikamaru Nara, come on."

' _Great, if it's gonna be like this then maybe I'll withdraw too.'_

"Less stalling, more getting off your ass and actually doing something for a change!" a comically pissed off Sasuke then proceeded to shove Shikamaru off the balcony.

Shikamaru hit the ground with a loud thud ' _Sasuke, you jerk.'_

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Tatsu finally came to and found Naruto, Sasuke and Ino sitting by his bed "Hey guys, what'd I miss?"

They tried to smile, but it came out rather weak "Not much."

"So, where the hell am I?"

"The hospital wing." Ino told him "You had a bad concussion, some light internal bleeding, a crushed shoulder and 5 broken ribs. The doctors are saying you're lucky to be alive, but they fixed most of it. Now you just need a little rest."

"No need. That's the good thing about the Kamikaze clan, we burn through chakra fast but we recover it even faster." he sat up and winced, then slowly got onto his feet and reached for a pair of crutches "Besides, I've had worse. It's not like the scar I got from Zabuza, and I'm already back to 70%. By the way, how's Lee doing?"

"About the same as you, his leg and arm are in really bad shape though. The bones are in shambles, it's almost too much to fix and every muscle in him has some kind of tear in it."

"I see."

"I'm lucky though." that was when Lee sat up, fully conscious, then got his feet with his own pair of crutches "Apparently some medic worked a little magic and kept me out of the ICU, now I'm back to 60%."

"You're one lucky bastard, I honestly didn't think either of us would make it out of that one."

"Same. You've gotten way stronger Tatsu, and if you'd used your Tenseigan Chakra Mode then I would've been one-shotted."

"There's a reason I use it, but that's for another time."

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Despite being initially unwilling, Shikamaru agreed to fight Temari due to his desire to refuse to lose to a girl, and after studying the arena and its elements he quickly came up with a strategy for the battle.

Despite this, Temari had seen how Shikamaru's jutsu worked and knew of its strengths and weaknesses, and it appeared that she was able to evade his Shadow Possession Jutsu and adapt to his tactics.

However, it turned out that that Shikamaru had actually been luring her to one of the tunnels that had been created in one of the previous matches, allowing him to catch her in his trap through the use of the tunnel.

However, despite the fact that he had clearly won, Shikamaru forfeited at the last second, claiming to have exerted too much chakra in capturing Temari to continue the match, also adding that if he continued and won, it would just mean more work.

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Kiba made his way down into the infirmary "Hey Ino, the repairs are finished and you and that Sound guy are up in about 5 minutes." and then he left.

Ino glanced over at the others "So do you have any advice?"

Tatsu gave a shrug "Just release the gravity seals and make this fast, I don't know why but I've got a bad feeling in the pit of my gut."

"Right." and so Ino made her way out towards the arena.

"You realize that after she and Dosu go at it, the two of you are gonna go at it next right?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, then at Tatsu "So, any advice?"

"I have only one thing to say to the two of you."

"Yeah?"

"...Just punch each other as hard as you can."

Naruto and Sasuke fell anime-style, then got back up and made their way towards the stadium.

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The next match was about to begin.

Genma stood in between Ino and Dosu as both got raring and ready to fight "Are you both ready to begin this match?"

Ino gave a simple nod as she pulled off her arm warmers and dropped into a simple taijutsu stance.

"And what about you?"

"More than ready." Dosu braced himself.

"Then begin."

Dosu promptly leapt away to gain some distance "Go ahead and make your move."

"Gladly." Ino formed a quick hand seal " **Gravity Seal: Release!"** her body glowed with blue chakra for a moment and she charged forward at even greater levels of speed.

' _She's even faster now._ **Earth Style: Mud Wave!"** Dosu formed a few hand seals and summoned a large wave of mud and rocks that he was able to ride on "I know how those seals work, by releasing them you're at least twice as fast as before. I can't afford to let those get anywhere near me."

"Pretty observant."

"With someone like your boyfriend it's hard not to be."

"Tatsu isn't my boyfriend."

"I never mentioned any names."

"...Screw you." her cheeks were red, but she quickly formed a hand seal " **Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"** she summoned a water dragon that clashed against the Mud Wave, but it quickly dissolved after pushing Dosu's Mud Wave back a short distance ' _Dammit!'_ she glanced up only to see that Dosu was gone "What the heck?"

"Not bad but water is weak against earth." a hand suddenly burst up from the ground and grabbed Ino by the ankle " **Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"** the hand suddenly pulled Ino into the ground so that only her head was visible, and then Dosu himself appeared "Not bad, but in the end it was just a bad match up."

"Yeah you'd think so wouldn't you?" Ino shot him a grin suddenly dissolved into a puddle of water.

"A Water Clone? So that would mean-"

" **Water Style: Ripping Torrent!"** Ino suddenly charged at him from behind and launched a water jutsu at Dosu's face, only for him to dissolve into mud that caught her arm and rendered her trapped "Dammit, an Earth Style Shadow Clone?"

"You put up a good fight, but it's all over now." the real Dosu made himself known from his place atop the Mud Wave "You can't use any jutsu if you can't wield any hand signs, and you can't dodge my attacks if you're bound in place. You put up a good fight and your skills and strategy were rather impressive, but in the end I just had the better strategy."

"I wouldn't count me out just yet."

"We'll see about that. **Earth Style: Mud Needle!"** the Mud Wave formed a large jagged spike that shot forward at full speed, piercing Ino through the chest, only for her to suddenly dissolve into water.

"Another Water Clone?" Dosu looked around ' _Nothing on the left, on the right, in front, behind, below, so that leaves… above!'_ his head snapped up ' _Dammit, I won't be able to dodge this!'_

"It's like Shino said before, you should always have an ace in the hole! **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** Ino charged down from above and slammed a purple blast of lightning down onto the Mud Needle, shattering it in an instant, and then she slammed the blast into Dosu before he was able to react, sending him tumbling into the ground

Dosu pulled himself out of the ground and spat out some blood "You caught me off guard when I let my guard down, I guess you did have a better strategy."

"The element of surprise helps too." Ino held out a hand and helped Dosu to his feet "So you wanna keep going?"

"I simply wanted to test how far I had come after the past month of training, this just means that I have that much to improve on. I with draw from this match."

Genma studied both of them ' _Water Style and Lightning Style on one side, Earth Style on the other, and both of them have a keen head for strategy. Not too shabby._ Dosu has withdrawn, so the winner is Ino Yamanaka." this was met with cheers from the audience all around.

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Neji sat in his room in the medical bay, pondering the events that had taken place ' _It's strange, but somehow I now feel at peace.'_

That was when Tatsu made his way into the room "Lee asked me to come and check in on you after the ass kicking you got."

"Thank you for the sarcasm and concern, but I'm doing quite alright."

"Hey it's not like you don't deserve the sarcasm, not after the way you've been acting."

"I'm well aware of that, and don't worry I'm over that. Lord Hiashi came by a little while ago, during your match with Lee. I had always believed that those of us from the side branch of the Hyuga clan would never truly be free until the power of the Byakugan was sealed and our Curse Marks disappeared, but it would seem that my father thought differently. It's true that some things can never be changed, but still perhaps I've made too many blind assumptions about the way things are in the world. I thought that I had such a clear understanding of everything, I bore such an unwavering grudge against the main branch of my clan, and I never even questioned that. But I didn't know the truth, I just blamed fate and held onto my pointless grudge. But during our battle Naruto explained it to me, he told me that Lady Hinata was suffering just as much as I was, if not more so. He told me that to gain acceptance and respect he had been trying incredibly hard to change, and I hadn't even considered what Hinata was going through. He helped me to understand just how selfish and narrow minded I was being."

"Yeah I know, I was there and I heard everything."

"Naruto Uzumaki, there's something special about him."

"I know his destiny for a fact, and he's gonna be greater than all of us. Except me, maybe. I'm personally aiming for the top. Well I'm gonna head back up to the stadium, Naruto is supposed to go at it with Sasuke and there's no way in hell I'm missing that one."

"Do what you want, I would just like to be alone with my thoughts for the time being."

"Suit yourself." and so Tatsu left.

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Roars of approval filled everyone's ears as Naruto and Sasuke emerged. The crowd was already on the edge of their seats in wondrous anticipation. Who would win, would it be the underdog Naruto, or the prodigy and last of the great Uchiha clan, Sasuke? One thing was clear, the battle wouldn't end until both were completely drained or unconscious. Or both.

Genma stepped forward "Ready?" he received two grins "Begin!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke thrusted his fist forward.

"Sasuke!" Naruto thrusted his own fist forward.

Sasuke blocked Naruto's fist.

Naruto blocked Sasuke's fist.

Sasuke swung his leg at Naruto's side.

Naruto blocked the kick, then swung Sasuke around by the leg.

Sasuke stopped himself with his hands and kicked Naruto in the face.

Naruto rebounded in mid-air, then charged with a fist thrusted forward.

Sasuke blocked the attack and flipped Naruto over his shoulder, sending him to the ground.

Naruto was quick to raise his guard and block the next onslaught of punches.

Sasuke was quick to kick him back "Don't tell me you're giving up."

"Not by a long shot!" Naruto was quick to fire a barrage of shuriken " **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he then used the shuriken as cover himself and fire off a barrage of clones.

"Looks like you haven't been wasting your time this past month. But just to warn you, neither have I." Sasuke leapt above the shuriken but found his landing space covered with clones ' _Crap, I can't tell the clones from the original even with my Sharingan. Guess I'll have to get rid of them until one one's left.'_ he felt something wrap around his ankles "Crap."

The clones formed a human ladder, using it to grab hold of Sasuke's feet while he was still in the air. The clone-ladder rotated, slinging Sasuke through the air towards one of the walls.

Sasuke found he couldn't dislodge them ' _Naruto, he must be using chakra to keep his grip on them.'_ no matter what he did, he found he couldn't move Naruto. He slammed into the wall not too hard, but found it was still enough to rattle his teeth. Sasuke quickly shook off the collision, but then he saw a cloud of orange coming at him "You've gotta be kidding me!"

" **NA-RU-TO! Uzumaki Barrage!"** the clones plummeted.

"Wanna bet?" Sasuke formed several hand seals " **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he unleashed a ball of light, dissipating several clones in various puffs of white smoke. Then he leapt high into the air and launched a different set of hand seals " **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"** he launched a large fire dragon, blasting every remaining clone present.

Naruto himself tumbled into a bush, upside down.

Sasuke rolled back down to the ground and landed on one knee "Sorry Naruto, so much for your clones."

"Wanna bet?" Naruto was about to create more clones, but stopped "Sasuke."

"Yeah." Sasuke activated his Sharingan, dispelling the genjutsu around him.

' _Kurama!'_

" **Right!"** Kurama quickly dispelled the genjutsu for him.

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Tatsu was quick to realize that the genjutsu was flooding the arena "Ino. Lee."

"Right." they all released it simultaneously.

"Get ready." then Tatsu himself leapt down into the arena "Guys, we've got a problem. Gaara's missing, last I sensed he was out in the forest-" he was cut off when Sasuke himself took off running in the opposite direction "Sasuke!"

"I'll track down Gaara and stall him!" Sasuke called "You guys get a squad and come back me up when you get the chance!" and he disappeared from beyond the arena walls.

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Up in the Kage box, revealing himself to have killed the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru took Sarutobi hostage and had his personal bodyguards, the Sound Four, Jirobo, Kidomaru, Sakon and Tayuya, establish a barrier using Four Flames Formation so nobody would interfere.

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"That's a barrier jutsu." Guy noted.

Kakashi nodded "They outwitted the Anbu Black Ops, and the Anbu are supposed to be the best." then he saw an Anbu appear in front of him.

"Why are you doing this? Lord Hokage's in danger!"

The Anbu formed a hand seal, and several Sound Ninja appeared by his side from within the stands.

"What a nuisance." Kakashi muttered.

Guy nodded "An enemy masquerading as Anbu Black Ops, so he was using genjutsu."

"Yes, there's no mistake."

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The Hidden Leaf gate was quickly crushed by a gigantic snake summoned by the Hidden Sound and Hidden Sand forces.

The invasion had begun.

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Tatsu led Naruto up into the stands and rendezvoused with the jonin "Kakashi! Guy! Hayate-sensei!"

Then Hayate appeared "Tatsu." then he saw several large summoning snakes "Quite a few of them from the look of it."

"We've been careless." Guy noted "And now even Lord Hokage… Guys look, there inside the barrier."

Tatsu looked and froze "Orochimaru. Great, that's another problem. Guys, Gaara's missing."

"Where was his last known position?" asked Kakashi.

"From what I sensed, somewhere in the forest outside the village." Tatsu then promptly blitzed over and punched out 3 enemy ninja in a matter of seconds "Ino, Lee, back me up."

"Right." Ino and Lee joined him and took manji formation, punching out enemy ninja one after another as they neared him.

"Tatsu." Hayate spoke up "Listen up, I'm giving you a mission. Release the genjutsu on Shikamaru. You'll have to be careful, it's your first A-rank mission since you went to the Land of Waves. Sasuke's currently chasing after Gaara, right?"

"I get where you're going." Tatsu turned to his comrades "Ino, we'll go back up Sasuke. Lee, wake Shikamaru and get to evacuating the civilians in the village."

' _I feel uneasy about Gaara.'_ Kakashi cut his thumb and placed his hand down " **Summoning Jutsu!"** he summoned a small dog "Listen carefully Tatsu, Pakkun here will track down Sasuke by scent."

"...Okay." he looked at Pakkun "Hey."

"Okay it's time, release the genjutsu on Shikamaru."

"You heard him."

"I'm on it." Ino made her way over to Shikamaru, only to see his eyebrow twitch "...I shouldn't even be surprised at this point."

"I've got him." Pakkun then bit down on Shikamaru's leg.

After about 3 seconds, Shikamaru bolted up and started yelling and thrashing his leg around in an attempt to get Pakkun off "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Why were you pretending to be asleep?" asked Ino.

"I didn't want to get involved." Shikamaru started stretching Pakkun's mouth out "Just give me a break, I couldn't care less about Sasuke." then he got bitten by Pakkun on his hand.

"You don't have to, you and Lee head out into the village and start evacuating the civilians. I'm going with Naruto, Pakkun and Ino to back Sasuke up." Tatsu told him, just as he saw a Sound ninja appear behind them "Look out!"

Lee quickly punched him out "There's your exit, now get going and good luck!" and he quickly grabbed Shikamaru and dragged him out into the village.

"Alright, let's go." Tatsu quickly led Naruto and Ino out into the village, not noticing Shino and Dosu disappear amongst the chaos.

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Sasuke raced through the forest at full speed, but stopped when he saw something ' _Sand on the ground, Gaara must really be out of it after that fight with Tatsu. Come to think of it, I did noticed something off about the chakra he was using. I can't waste time, I've gotta move.'_

Then he went on his way again.

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Orochimaru finally began his battle with Sarutobi, who'd been his mentor before becoming Hokage, with both displaying powerful techniques that the observing ANBU could describe as a Kage-level battle.

Orochimaru then used the Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation, to summon Sarutobi's predecessors: Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage and the inventor of the Reanimation Jutsu.

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Tatsu led Naruto, Ino and Pakkun through the forest "Remember guys, when we find Sasuke don't charge straight into battle. Fall back with Sasuke and formulate a plan, I'll hold them off so you guys can retreat. Gaara's still hurt so it shouldn't be too bad."

"But how could he still be injured?" asked Naruto "I mean sure you beat him bad but it should've healed by now."

"That's the point of my Tenseigan Chakra Mode, it burns through my chakra really fast but I recover it quickly, and the chakra used to inflict the wound stays in the wound, greatly nullifying any healing abilities, Tailed Beast or not. Ino, if you want I'll explain that later but for now let's focus on the task at hand. By this point, he's probably close to transforming again. Pakkun, they're suppressing their chakra so I can't sense them. Where are they and how long will it take us to reach them?"

Pakkun shrugged "I don't know, probably a while if they keep moving at this pace."

"This isn't good. Guys, we're gonna have to pick up the pace if we wanna reach them before Sasuke gets himself killed. That, and we've got a problem. There are 8 ninja tailing us from behind- Wait, no it's more like 9 following us. I don't think they've discovered our location yet, we've gotta lose them." he stopped them.

"What's the deal?" asked Naruto "Why are we stopping?"

"Zip it and follow me." Pakkun slowly backtracked "We're going back over our footprints, if we pull this off then we'll seem to disappear."

"Is this really gonna do anything? I mean, they'd have to be pretty lame ninja if this throws them off our trail."

"It'll help buy us some time, that's all we need now but if our pursuers get impatient, succumb to the thrill of the chase and lose sight of our tracks then I certainly won't complain."

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After awhile, the Sound Ninja showed up and found that the tracks left by Tatsu and the others just stopped.

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Pakkun sniffed out that they were coming again "This isn't good, they're definitely back on our trail."

"Chance are they're all chunin or higher, if they catch us we'll probably be killed." Tatsu noted.

"We don't have much choice guys, we should ambush them." Naruto decided

"No chance, they're Orochimaru's henchmen and they're all jonin level. It won't work. Sure an ambush is a key battle tactic and can be very beneficial, but for it to work there have to be 2 conditions met. First, the ninja on the run has to be completely quiet and must find the enemy first. Second, they have to be able to catch the pursuers off guard at a location where they can do a lot of damage fast and conceal themselves just as fast. Only under those conditions can an ambush actually work. The first one isn't so hard since Pakkun's nose can sniff them out, and the second one looks like it's in our favor since we know our village's geography like the backs of our hands. But don't forget that Orochimaru originally came from the Hidden Leaf so we're out of luck on the second one. Our pursuers have studied the layouts of this village, and we've gotta assume they've been put through simulated practice for this invasion. On top of that, they've probably mastered the pursuit jutsu."

"So they know all the cards we're holding?" Ino guessed.

"We've gotta assume that. Besides, our enemy is probably a special unit put together specifically for this. We're just a bunch of genin and a dog. Tactics are about clearly grasping a tough situation and simulating the best plan possible, and right now there's only one plan that makes sense."

"And that is?" asked Naruto.

"A diversion that only looks like an ambush, so one of us will have to stay behind and slow them down."

"Like a decoy?" Ino guessed.

"Exactly, if one of us can delay them then they shouldn't be able to find the rest. We can escape, although the one who acts as a decoy will probably die. Then again, that's what war is about. So here's the deal, I'll be the one who-"

"No, I'll do it."

Naruto gaped at her "Ino, you can't! You'll be killed!"

"Come on, do you really think I'm just some weak fangirl who can't throw a punch? I've been training with Tatsu for this past month, I've grown up a lot." she leapt back "Besides, Shikamaru isn't the only one with a head for strategy."

"Hey! Are you saying I'm not smart?"

' _Pretty much, yeah._ Come on Naruto, you know that's not what I'm saying. You guys have a way better chance of stopping Gaara than I do, but I'll do everything I can to slow them down and buy you guys some time."

"Alright." Tatsu finally spoke "We'll leave it to you. Come on Naruto, let's get going. Ino, we're counting on you." and he took, with Naruto in tow.

Ino found herself alone, and within minutes she could hear them coming ' _Alright get ready girl, they're coming.'_

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Hayate quickly cut down several enemies with his Crescent Moon Dance, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine ' _Tatsu, please be careful.'_ then he suddenly coughed up blood.

"Hayate!" Asuma quickly came to his aid and caught him as collapsed.

"I'm sorry… take care… of everyone…" then Hayate passed out.

' _Damn, of all the times for his sickness to catch up to him.'_

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"Well well." the Sound ninja found a terrified-looking Ino backed up against a tree "Look what we have here, a little Leaf sapling and doesn't she look damn cute." this caused her to shrink back "Well you must be the little diversion your team left behind, so sad that we've gotta kill such a cutie." a kunai slid out of his sleeve and he held it up "Now then, do you want pleasure before death or just death?"

Ino faked trembling, then smiled dangerously and quickly formed a hand seal before they could react, the action followed by a series of huge explosions, then a huge crash and crunch right before a section of tree came into view.

"A trap! Scatter!" they spread out, breaking their formation, only for a new arrival to flash from the bushes, kunai and shuriken flying from it. The group avoided for the most part, but one guy wasn't so lucky and a kunai caught him in the chest, knocking him off his feet as it tore straight through his body and burst out the other side, eventually stopping in a tree behind the guy.

Even as the guy fell, the blur used his corpse like a springboard to leap into the air, throwing around more kunai that wounded two and hobbled another.

The group began rallying and focused their attacks on the interloper.

This didn't pan out since a fist crashed into the hobbler's face, which shattered under the force of the hit, slamming him into the trees hard enough to shatter it. The blur then flew at the leader.

Unfortunately, the leader wasn't as slow as the others since he saw the oncoming fist with just enough time to twist out of the way, seize the limb and hurl the blur into the air, over towards where Ino was still crouching against the tree.

The figure passed right through Ino like she didn't exist, then cried out as she struck the tree.

The leader felt his blood boil "So a clone huh? You used a clone to distract us while you set off the traps and attacked from the sidelines. Impressive girl, but not good enough." he grabbed Ino by the front of her shirt and lifted her "Now what're you gonna do?"

Ino drove her shin into the man's crotch, causing him to drop her and double over and clutch his damaged goods.

He never even noticed as Ino's fist crashed into the back of his head, knocking him out.

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Tatsu sensed the explosions and looked back ' _Come on Ino, you can do this._ Naruto, let's pick up the pace."

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Ino ducked a punch, blocked a knee, then launched an uppercut, feeling the Sound ninja's jaw shatter beneath her fist ' _Got him!'_

He fell, motionless.

' _Is he dead? I know the others are injured, but…'_

The two in front of her backed away nervously "How's a girl like you this powerful? It's just not fair!"

"I had a good teacher. Besides, how am I the one not being fair when you guys are outnumbering me? Man, Orochimaru needs better help." two of Ino's clones burst from the bushes.

Both men swiped and lost their concentration on Ino as they advanced.

The clones vanished, but before either Sound ninja could do anything, Ino smashed their heads together, causing them to drop out cold. Ino herself then dropped to her knees ' _Okay, they're gone and I'm exhausted. Then again, I was using so much of my chakra to augment my muscles and I'm not exactly big in terms of reserves. I've really gotta thank Tatsu and the others for that. Still, I don't have enough in me for a long fight._ I've really gotta work on that."

A cold edge laid itself against her throat "Too bad you'll never get the chance."

' _Wait, there were originally 9- Dammit, the lookout! The one who usually stays back for this kind of situation. I was careless.'_

"Never forget your enemy will always keep one man in reserve, now you die." the blade pressed harder against her throat, with a scream filling the forest.

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Pakkun took a whiff "Huh, looks like those ninja aren't chasing us anymore."

Tatsu smirked "Looks like Ino pulled through like I thought. _I never doubted you for a second. We're half done, now we've gotta catch up to Sasuke before he gets killed. Come on Sasuke, just hang in there.'_

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" **Earth Style: Boulder Fist!"**

Ino suddenly found the ninja holding her hostage on the ground with a hole in his chest ' _What the-?'_

"You… traitor…" the man spat out before dying.

"I was never a traitor." another voice retorted "I just realized what it meant to fight for a side that's worth fighting for."

Ino looked up "You…"

"For the 7th time, and I've been counting, my name is Dosu. I would've been here sooner, but I was a little sidetracked. Still though, you did well."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty much spent." then she passed out from exhaustion.

"Take a break, you earned it."

"Yes she did."

Dosu turned to see Asuma standing on a branch behind him "You're her sensei."

"I am, and I should thank you for saving her today and for last month."

"No thanks necessary, just repaying my debt to Tatsu and Sasuke. Now I think you should take care of her, I'm going to join up with Tatsu and the others."

"Right." Asuma quickly took Ino on his back and took off.

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"Hurry!" by this point, Temari and Kankuro were supporting a wounded Gaara as they retreated through the forest.

Kankuro glanced back ' _What a pest?'_

' _We have even more pursuers? Two, no three._ Kankuro, we've gotta go faster!"

"Okay okay."

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Sasuke was chasing after them, not too far behind ' _Forget it, there's no way I'm letting you get away!'_

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Tatsu led Naruto and Pakkun through the forest ' _Whatever you do Sasuke, just make sure you don't get killed.'_

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Temari stopped the group and checked something ' _I see…'_

"Well Temari, what's up?" asked Kankuro.

"He's close, very close."

"I knew it, what do we do?"

Temari pulled out some wire "Leave everything to me."

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Sasuke leapt across the forest, setting off a Paper Bomb in the process, along with several more following, forcing him to retreat upwards ' _Well that was close.'_

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Tatsu stopped the group "Must be some tripwire traps, they're probably trying to slow Sasuke down."

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The Hokage battle royale began, with Hashirama's Wood Style giving him and Tobirama the advantage over Sarutobi, who was quick to summon the Monkey King Enma to help him in the one-sided battle as Orochimaru brought out his Sword of Kusanagi.

During the fight, Sarutobi learned that ninja brought back by the Reanimation Jutsu were immune to any normal form of attack and regenerated from any injury dealt to them.

At the time, Orochimaru explained his desire to become immortal and know every form of ninjutsu, then decided to reveal the fruits of his labors by peeling away his face, revealing the face of a young woman whose body he now occupied.

 **A/N:**

 **The biggest revision to this chapter was expanding on the Naruto vs Neji fight. I originally rushed it big time because I really wanted to get it over with and get to the fight between Tatsu vs Lee, the highlight of this chapter in my opinion. I also got to actually write out the potential Ino vs Dosu fight I originally completely glossed over, but here I actually enjoyed writing.**

 **The Tatsu vs Lee fight was meant to expand on their past a little, showing how they became friends and rivals and how Tatsu's influence made Lee a somewhat different character from canon.**

 **Tantrum is a reference to How I Met Your Mother, mainly because I'm absolutely in love with that show.**


	8. Clash of the Climax, End of the Invasion

**Sarahgri99:** Yeah, I'm a huge HIMYM fan and probably one of the very few people who don't despise the finale, but I have no intention of starting a flame war over it. Anyway I really enjoyed writing the Tatsu vs Lee fight, and I hope you enjoy what I have planned next.

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Pakkun took a whiff "I sense that Sasuke has stopped moving, but he's still a long way ahead of us."

Tatsu nodded "I can sense his chakra rising, he must be planning to fight."

"Did I just smell what I think I smelled?"

"What is it, some kind of trouble?"

"Strange I never noticed it before. Tatsu, did you use the same shampoo as I do?"

"...One time, I borrowed it from Lee one damn time!"

"But I wonder why my coat looks so much glossier than yours."

"...Seriously, I'd trade you for Lee in a heartbeat. I wonder how he's doing anyway."

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"TANTRUM!" riding Choji like a bull and pulling a staff out of nowhere, Lee was chasing back the Sound ninja and stampeding like an angry rhino "ONWARD! TANTRUM!"

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Tatsu shrugged "I'm sure he's doing just fine."

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Sasuke had finally caught up to Gaara's group "Hey."

"Oh geez." Kankuro grumbled.

"If it isn't Sasuke Uchiha." Temari gave a scowl.

Sasuke whipped out a kunai and smirked "Sorry, but this is as far as you guys go."

Kankuro was sweating ' _Oh man Gaara, where are you when we need you? You picked a lousy time to be out of commission, this Uchiha kid is trouble._ So what're you gonna do?"

Temari leapt ahead "Go Kankuro, get Gaara away from here. I'll take care of this one."

"Don't be a fool Temari, this kid's too much for you to handle all by yourself."

"Don't argue, our mission is to make sure Gaara is safe. He's our first and only priority. Don't worry about me, this is what I've been waiting for. Get going Kankuro."

"Right." Kankuro leapt ahead.

"No you don't!" Sasuke fired some kunai, but missed "Damn!"

Temari blocked his way "Take this!" she fired a blast of wind to stop him ' _Bad timing, I would have to face this Uchiha kid when my chakra is almost gone. I'm in real trouble if he uses his Sharingan, I've got to force him to waste a lot of his chakra and quickly. It's my only chance?'_

' _Should I use_ _ **that**_ _and try to take her out quickly? No, I've gotta conserve my chakra if I want any chance of stopping Gaara. I've gotta resort to some of my lesser fire attacks and my Purple Thunder. But until then, I'm biding my time and saving my chakra.'_ Sasuke quickly fired off some shuriken.

Temari unleashed a blast of wind, sending the shuriken into the tree ' _He's holding back, saving his chakra for Gaara._ **Wind Scythe Jutsu!"** she unleashed a blast of wind.

Sasuke dodged the blast, causing it to cut the tree beneath him, along with several branches, forcing him on the evasive as he fired off more shuriken.

"Is that the best you can do? **Sand Storm Jutsu!"** she fired another blast of wind, deflecting the shuriken and building up sand on the tree branches.

Sasuke was forced to hide behind one of the trees ' _I've gotta do something about that damn fan of hers.'_

' _Still holding back, this fight won't last long that way.'_

' _Oh well, it can't be helped.'_ Sasuke came out into the open.

' _Good, I was wondering when you were going to get serious.'_

" **Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"** Sasuke unleashed several small balls of fire.

' _That's more like it.'_ Temari leapt to the ground as the balls of fire exploded, creating a ring of fire surrounding her.

' _Now to finish her off._ **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** Sasuke finished the onslaught with a giant ball of fire "Did I get her?"

" **Wind Scythe Jutsu!"** Temari launched a blast of wind, clearing out the flames.

Sasuke quickly leapt away from the wind, only to slip on some sand and fall.

"You're mine!" Temari leapt up and hit him with several kunai to the chest, only to discover a log in his place "What the- a Substitution?!"

And a paper bomb.

"Oh no!" she got thrown back by the shockwave and coughed up blood.

Sasuke appeared on a branch above her "I've gotta run. I've wasted too much time on you as it is." and he disappeared.

' _Hopefully… I held him off long enough… for Gaara to get away.'_

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At the Hokage battle, Orochimaru revealed the nature of his Transference Ritual, allowing him to transfer his being into the body of another every few years and that he intended to make Sasuke his new vessel.

Regretting not killing Orochimaru when he had the chance all those years ago, Sarutobi mustered up his chakra and summoned some Shadow Clones for a last resort attack in an attempt to rectify his mistake.

As the battle across the Hidden Leaf raged on, Sarutobi had his Shadow Clones use the Reaper Death Seal on Hashirama and Tobirama, revealing Yoroi and Misumi as the corpses used to reanimate them, while the real one intended to do the same to Orochimaru, trapping his soul within the Reaper's stomach at the cost of his own life.

However, Orochimaru used his Sword of Kusanagi to stab Sarutobi in the back.

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Kankuro continued carrying Gaara through the forest, and he sensed a presence ' _It's coming, but which one?'_ he was forced to dodge several shuriken "So it's Uchiha. _What about Temari?'_

Then Sasuke showed up, forcing Kankuro to stop "You through running away?"

"Who says I was running? I'll take you on, no problem."

"Wait!" then Temari showed up.

"Temari. When he showed up and you didn't, I thought he must've finished you."

"He could've, and why he didn't I don't know. Guess I didn't delay him for very long did I?"

"It's okay, every second gives Gaara more time to recover though why he still hasn't after a whole month I don't know. Anyway, the more chakra Uchiha is forced to use up the better for us."

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Pakkun took a whiff "There it is."

"What, more shampoo?" Naruto snarked.

"No, I smell Sasuke. And he uses the same shampoo too. He's not alone, I smell others with him. He's caught up to them."

Tatsu smirked "Finally. _Hang in there for just a little longer Sasuke, we're almost there.'_

"They're close together and they've stopped moving, could mean a fight. We should hurry."

"Agreed."

' _What are all these other smells? A bunch of them all converging on the same spot._ Smells like we're not the only ones tracking Sasuke, there's something else out there."

"Enemy or ally?"

"I don't know, but it isn't human."

"Not human? What're you- _Hold on, I recognize that chakra. Why didn't I sense it sooner? Please, both of you make sure you survive until we get there.'_

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Temari made a decision "I've got this Kankuro, go on and get Gaara out of here."

But then Kankuro stepped forward instead "Temari, you take Gaara and go on ahead. You're all worn out, look at yourself. Go on, you'll only get in my way."

"Wait a second-"

"Get moving!"

Temari looked down at Gaara.

"Hurry up!"

"Alright." Temari grabbed Gaara and took off.

Kankuro turned to face Sasuke "Okay Uchiha, time you picked on someone your own size."

Sasuke smirked "Whatever you say."

"Hold on!" a new voice cut in "I've got dibs on him first Sasuke."

Kankuro looked and saw Shino standing beside Sasuke "What do you want?"

"Shino? How did you find us?" asked Sasuke.

"I planted a beetle on you as you left the arena, a female beetle." explained Shino "She gives off a very faint scent, nothing you could detect but the male of the species can. He has a very strong sense of smell and he'd follow her anywhere."

Kankuro was briefly freaked out by the bugs at his feet.

"Sasuke Uchiha, it's Gaara you're really after. That is, because you never got your own shot at him. Well I have similar unfinished business with Kankuro, because I never got to fight him either, and unlike you I was actually supposed to fight him. He's mine, leave him to me. Go."

Sasuke smirked "Well alright then, if you're sure you're okay."

"Don't worry, give me 10 minutes and I'll come after you to see if you're okay."

"Don't waste your time, by then my work will be done too. And Shino?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks." and he blitzed off after Gaara.

"Sure."

Kankuro let out an arrogant chuckle "You clueless fools, you don't know what you're in for. Imagine something more monstrous than your worst nightmare, only it's real."

"I'm having a little trouble picturing it, why don't you go ahead and show me."

"Oh it's not me, if you're ever unlucky enough to catch up with Gaara then that's when you'll see it. But first of course, you'll have to beat me."

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Pakkun stopped "Uh oh."

Tatsu stopped "What's up?"

"Something wrong?" Naruto slammed straight into a tree "Ow…"

"Smells like they're in motion, Sasuke along with two of the other ones." Pakkun told him "And they're moving fast, smells to me like Sasuke's chasing them."

"You sure?" asked Tatsu.

"But there are two more still there, not moving. The two that are left are about to fight."

"I recognize those chakra signatures, one is Kankuro, the Sand guy with the puppet, and I'm pretty sure the other one is Shino. My best guess is that he wanted the match that he was denied."

"Even if it means losing some time, we should go around them just to be safe."

"Right." and they went around the battle.

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Gaara soon regained consciousness "Temari, put me down."

"You sure you're strong enough Gaara?" Temari set him down.

Gaara began clutching his head.

"Gaara!" Temari looked at his wounds ' _This isn't right, his wounds should've healed a long time ago, and there's no telling how long Kankuro can delay the Uchiha. Every second counts._ If we don't keep moving, the whole plan will fail."

"Leave me alone Temari, go away. You are nothing but a nuisance. Beat it!" he finally punched her away into a tree "I don't need you." he glared at the one in front of him.

Sasuke had caught up with Gaara and met his gaze, unafraid "I have no idea what scheme you Sand Village clowns have got going, but I'll stop it no matter what it is."

Gaara's skin cracked slightly.

"Besides, I'm dying to see what you really are."

Gaara suddenly gripped his hand, his skin cracking even further, ignoring Temari's constant yells of protest "We're so alike Uchiha, I don't have friends as you have but they're not what makes you strong. It's your purpose that does it, in that way we're alike. You! But mine is the stronger purpose, for only by destroying you and all you represent can I even prove that I exist. Only by killing you can I know what life is."

Sasuke stared intently for a moment ' _He showed up during my training and asked me what my purpose is, but I wouldn't tell him, and he thought my eyes showed a desire for power and the drive to do anything to get it. If it weren't for Tatsu and Naruto, that's probably how I would've turned out.'_

"You… You are my-" Gaara clutched his head and screamed in pain, his skin cracking apart even further "You are my prey! My prey! MY PREY!"

Temari froze ' _It's starting.'_

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Kankuro was quick to attack with his puppet Crow, using its many hidden weapons to catch Shino by surprise.

Shino was able to dodge the attack through use of his destruction bugs, but eventually made the mistake of inhaling some of the puppet's poison gas.

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By this point, Gaara had halfway transformed "Now… let me feel it…"

Sasuke froze ' _That eye, the same eye as when he fought Tatsu in the preliminaries.'_

Gaara pounced at him in a primal rage.

Sasuke was forced to dodge, the blow destroying a tree, and hide behind a tree ' _Looks like I may not finish this before you guys catch up with me after all, sorry Shino.'_

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As the battle raged on, Shino managed to direct his bugs to pinpoint Kankuro's location.

They soon managed to pinpoint it and consume all of his chakra,, subduing Crow and causing Kankuro to collapse.

With the battle won, Shino collapsed due to Kankuro's poison.

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Sasuke dodged a sweep of Gaara's claw ' _Is he human or some kind of monster? What the hell is he?'_

"Why do you hide Sasuke Uchiha, do I frighten you?" Gaara snarled maliciously "Are you shocked by my true form? Come out come out Sasuke Uchiha, to live I must kill and you are my prey!"

Sasuke quickly leapt out from his hiding spot.

"So there you are!" Gaara slashed his claw at him.

Sasuke disappeared via Substitution "Guess again!" he appeared above Gaara and flung a volley of kunai.

Gaara blocked them with his giant sand claw, then absorbed them like quicksand "Here, you can have them back!" he flung the kunai barrage at Sasuke, charging them with fire chakra.

Sasuke then disappeared.

"Only a clone."

The real Sasuke was hiding behind a tree ' _This guy's a freak.'_

"What's wrong, Sasuke Uchiha? Why do you run and hide? Why don't you attack?" then Gaara screamed in pain and clutched his head "Why do you always run away?" he let out a furious primal roar "I won't let you get away, you can't escape do you hear? Sasuke Uchiha!" he leapt forward, cutting down several trees.

' _This is unreal, his strength is off the charts.'_

"What's wrong?! You're not afraid of me are you?!"

' _If this comes down to physical strength then you can forget it.'_

"Yes that's it, you fear me don't you Uchiha? You live in fear every day I'm alive!"

' _He said I was his prey, and yet I'm probably just a substitute because you couldn't kill Tatsu. You said I knew loneliness more than anyone, but you're wrong. Naruto understands it a lot more than I do.'_

"What's wrong, Sasuke Uchiha?! Are you really so afraid of me?! Has all your hatred and sense of purpose dwindle down to this abject fear?! Is this the existence you live now, that of a coward?! Come out and fight me! Show me that I'm wrong! Prove that your existence is stronger than mine! You'll never know unless you fight me! You'll never feel it! ATTACK!"

Sasuke's mind was racing, his thoughts moving to Itachi ' _he killed everyone but me, I was the only one allowed to live.'_ he formed a hand seal ' _For what reason? No, I know the reason. He had to leave one alive to spare himself the guilt of having exterminated an entire clan.'_ lightning chakra began generating in his hand ' _By sparing me, Itachi chose me to be the avenger of the clan. He chose me to be the one to kill him.'_

"Good, now we're gonna have some fun Sasuke Uchiha!"

' _With one blow, I'll finish this. Thanks Kakashi.'_

"UCHIHA!" Gaara leapt forward.

" **CHIDORI!"** Sasuke fired the blast of lightning, ripping through Gaara's blood, causing him to howl in pain ' _Looks like it worked.'_

Unfortunately, Gaara just let out a maniacal laughter "I see, so that's what it is! Now it's clear to me exactly why I've been looking forward to this… this pain. What a thrill it will be to crush such an opponent capable of wounding me so badly! Such a victory will make me feel what it is to be truly alive! There's more, so much more…" the wound in his arm regenerated, and sand poured from his gourd before sprouting into a tail.

' _What the hell is this guy? How many of these things are going to grow out of him?'_

Gaara's sand claw grabbed the branch he was standing on, then catapulted himself forward.

' _He's even faster!'_ Sasuke barely dodged the swipe.

Gaara grabbed another branch.

' _Only by predicting his moves do I have any chance of dodging them, if it weren't for my Sharingan I'd already be dead. I can't use my Chidori, and now I can only use my Purple Thunder twice before I pass out, so I've gotta be smart about using my chakra._ **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"** he launched a jutsu.

Gaara used his sand to protect himself and launched forward.

' _It didn't even slow him down, a jutsu of this level is useless.'_

"You're finished!"

' _It's Chidori or nothing then.'_

Gaara punched Sasuke with his sand claw, sending him crashing into a tree.

' _Chidori is when I focus more on the nature of the lightning chakra instead of form, making it very different from Purple Thunder.'_

"Is that it? That's the best demonstration you could make of the value of your existence?! That's just pathetic, truly. Your hatred, it's weak. You are far too soft and forgiving! The greater the hunger for revenge, the greater the hate, and it's the power of hate that gives you the strength to kill! Your hate is weaker than mine, far weaker!"

"Shut up."

"You know what that means don't you?"

"Just shut up!"

"It means you can't win. You are weaker than I am."

' _There's a reason Itachi let me live, a reason he chose me to be the one to track him down and kill him. I'm not like the rest of the Uchiha, I will not succumb to hatred or vengeance! I will find my own way!'_ lightning crackled to light ' _Maybe by concentrating on the nature and form of the technique evenly, I can make something new.'_

"UCHIHA!"

Gaara leapt forward.

" **PURPLE CHIDORI!"** concentrating the chakra nature and form evenly, Sasuke's Chidori turned purple, the technique blowing Gaara's sand arm and part of his tail clean off.

Gaara let out a howl of pain as his arm regenerated.

Sasuke finally collapsed ' _No good… that was all I could manage… I'm out of chakra… can't move…'_

Gaara let out a primal roar as he pounced, until…

" **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** a blast of red wind sent Gaara flying, and Naruto suddenly appeared in between them.

Sasuke weakly looked up "Naruto…"

' _This guy…_ Sasuke, this is Gaara isn't he?"

"Yeah…"

"Hey guys." Pakkun spoke up "I guess now would be the time to tell you I'm not the fighting type."

"Yeah, we can tell just by looking at you." Tatsu said dryly ' _I can sense Dosu's chakra, he'll be here any minute. We've gotta hold out until then and attack Gaara as a unit.'_

"What do you want?" Gaara snarled.

Naruto got into a stance ' _This guy…_ Tatsu, get Sasuke out of here!"

Gaara leapt at them "KAMIKAZE! YOU WILL PAY! DIE!"

"No!" Dosu suddenly appeared, tanto in hand, in between Gaara and Sasuke "Are you three alright?"

Gaara froze, recalling a memory from his past, before he suddenly smacked Dosu with his giant sand claw, sending him into a tree "STAY OUT OF THIS!" he slammed Dosu into a tree with his sand claw and clutched his head in pain.

Naruto felt his blood chilling "What're we supposed to do now? We're screwed! _I don't know if I can handle this guy, I mean Tatsu barely beat him at full power!'_

"Why can't I…?" Gaara thought back to his childhood memories of his maternal uncle Yashamaru, who had seemed to be the only person who cared about him, ended up trying to kill him out of sheer hatred, then Yashamaru's statement about his mother's death, followed by his suicide bombing, and then Gaara came to only love himself and find purpose for himself in killing others ' _Yashamaru…'_

Naruto looked on in horror ' _Those eyes…'_

"What's the matter? Aren't you about to make a run for it? Who are those three? Who are they to you?"

"Who are they to me? They're my friends, that's who they are! All three of them, even if they come from different villages!"

Dosu's good eye widened ' _I see, so this is how ninja in this village really are. I only wish I could've seen it sooner.'_

"You try laying so much as another finger on any of them and I'll pulverize you!"

Gaara let out a growl and tightened his grip on Dosu "What's the matter? Weren't you gonna pulverize me? Well come on then!"

' _This isn't gonna be easy as long as he stays like this, but I've got no choice._ Tatsu…"

"Say no more." Tatsu cut him off "I understand."

"Thank you." then he turned to Gaara "You're gonna pay for hurting my friends!"

Gaara let out a bloodthirsty laugh "That's exactly why you can't win, as long as you fight for the sake of others you'll never advance beyond this level. Only one can remain undefeated, and only he will feel what it's like to truly exist. Forget your friends and fight for yourself."

"You're insane. Forget my friends?"

"The trivial feelings like friendship and loyalty cloud your focus, and you'll die."

"Yeah yeah, keep talking while you can because I'm about to shut you up once and for all!" he charged.

"You don't understand what real strength is."

"I'm taking you down!"

Gaara was about to attack, but stopped when he got another flashback, and whacked Naruto away using his tail, groaning in pain all the while.

Naruto gulped.

"What's the matter? Why don't you attack? Don't you care what happens to your precious friends?" he tightened his grip on Dosu, causing him to groan in pain.

"Let him go!"

Sasuke noticed something off ' _Naruto, just standing there, that's not like him. Why's he hesitating?'_

' _I've gotta find a way to save that guy no matter what, but how? I can't bring in the Chief Toad just yet, I'm gonna need to wait for him to fully transform for that. Still, for now I'm gonna have to make it work. I'm the only one that can save them!'_

"Worried about the others?" Gaara snarled, now transformed further "When I fight I fight for me and me alone." sand enveloped his other arm, leaving Dosu trapped by a claw of sand that separated from Gaara's body "Only by attacking and defeating me can you free him, and you should hurry. With each passing second the sand will harden until it crushes him to death."

' _Those eyes.'_

" **Sand Shuriken!"** Gaara unleashed a barrage of shuriken made of sand.

Naruto quickly leapt out of the way, only to slam into a tree.

Now Gaara was almost entirely enveloped in sand.

' _Eyes full of loneliness, I've seen that look before in myself. Now he's turning into a monster, like me. I remember how I hated them because they hated me and I couldn't understand why. I wondered why I even existed. That's when I found out I had Kurama inside me, it wasn't my fault but everyone acted as if I was. That just made it worse. But then…'_ his mind flashed to Tatsu, Sasuke, Iruka, Mizuki, Sarutobi and Kakashi ' _But then I found some people who paid attention to me. That made it better. It was alright then, even though I had this monster inside me- no offense Kurama, just go with it- even though everyone else acted like I didn't exist, because it meant that I wasn't alone anymore. For the first time in a long time, I was happy again, really happy. They all made me remember how good life could be. They made me glad to be alive. But when I think back on where I was before I met them, it's scary, nothing but pain and darkness. What would I be like if I'd stayed there all alone. That's how I can understand him. I don't know how it happened but this guy's been there all alone in the same bottomless pit of darkness and pain. He's still there, that's why he has no one. He fights only for himself. Maybe he's right, maybe it's made him stronger. Maybe it is a weakness to have friends you care about, to know what happiness is. Can I really win against a guy like this?'_

Gaara tightened his grip on Dosu "What's the matter? Are you afraid of me, or are you still thinking of the best way to save your friends? Fool, forget them. Think only of yourself, love only yourself. That's what it means to be the strongest. What's wrong? You were so bold and cocky before. Show me your strength, let me grind it into dust before your eyes! Attack you coward, fight me or I'll kill them all right now!"

"Okay, you asked for it!" Naruto let out a growl and charged " **Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** and a massive barrage of clones charged in " **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** they all launched sharp and powerful slashes of wind.

" **Wind Style: Sandstorm Devastation!"** Gaara unleashed a blast of sand and wind from his mouth.

Naruto found himself face down ' _He just blew them away, that's not good.'_

"I think I'll toy with you awhile, I'll watch you abandon your friends and beg for mercy before you die." Gaara unleashed sharp blasts of sand, pushing Naruto back into a tree.

"What… What the…?"

"And again!" he repeated the attack, pushing him back further.

"What… What's this feeling?"

" **Sand Shuriken!"** Gaara launched a barrage of shuriken made of sand, sending Naruto tumbling back even further.

"What's this… this strange feeling? It's getting stronger, flowing through me as if I was on fire. _I see it now, I can't lose.'_

"Weakling!"

' _I have to beat him, even if it kills me.'_

"What is this? You come at me and that's all you've got? All that effort and you couldn't even touch me. What a joke!" his grip on Dosu tightened.

Naruto pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb wrapped around it "I don't really know how much damage I can do, but it doesn't matter. I've just gotta give it my best shot. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned several clones "Here goes, get ready for the ultimate secret taijutsu! **Naruto Uzumaki Clone Body Slam!"** the clones all charged in.

Gaara grabbed 3 clones with his claw.

"Okay, let's do it!" one clone through the original, who formed the hand seal " **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed a clone, which was promptly caught by Gaara "And another! **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed another clone and used it as a springboard "Take this! **Leaf Village Secret Taijutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!"** he then shoved the kunai up Gaara's ass.

' _...Seriously?'_ Gaara then promptly backhanded Naruto away.

Naruto was quick to rebound " **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."** he then launched a fireball, igniting with the paper bomb on the kunai in a fiery explosion, before he slammed into Sasuke "Hey, you okay?"

Sasuke watched as Gaara emerged, somewhat disfigured "All of that work, and you only scored one blow?"

"Oh shut up."

Gaara was quick to realize Naruto's plan "He attacked at the base of the tail where the defense is weakest, he didn't wound me but the sand couldn't absorb the impact. Have I underestimated him?" his grip tightened on Dosu.

"Naruto, listen to me." Sasuke told him "You've gotta stop this guy and save Dosu if it's the last thing you do. He was being used by Orochimaru, along with his teammates, but Tatsu, Kakashi and I saved them. Anyway, once you've got Dosu, I want you and Tatsu to take her and flee as fast as you can."

Naruto recalled what happened with Haku in the Land of Waves "Sasuke…"

"I can hold him here a little longer, if it ends here then it just means this was as far as I was meant to go. I lost everything once, I don't ever want to see that again. I'll never allow my friends and comrades to die before my eyes. That's _my_ nindo, _my_ ninja way."

"Sasuke… _I get it now.'_ Naruto stood once more ' _Of course._ He's no different than I am, going through life with the exact same sadness and loneliness that I had to carry. He fought only for himself, never relying on anyone, and because of that I thought that he possessed strength, I really did."

"Naruto…"

"I don't know, I guess I should've known better. That's not what real strength is, if you never fight for anyone but yourself then you'll never be strong no matter what." he began building up his chakra.

' _He's releasing a massive amount of chakra, how's he doing it?'_

"No matter what happens, I swear I'm going to protect you! **Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he then unleashed an unbelievably massive barrage of clones "Gee I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long, so get ready for an original jutsu straight from my ninja handbook!"

Gaara looked around in astonishment "What the-? How could he have summoned so many clones?"

"How… How did you do this?" Sasuke wondered.

"Sasuke, take it easy for awhile." Naruto told him "You deserve it after all you've done, but for now just leave it to me."

' _Naruto… this is the strength that comes from your desire to protect, isn't it? I guess I've gotta find people of my own to protect…'_ he looked around ' _Then again… maybe I already do…'_ he managed a small smile ' _Go, Naruto.'_

"Look out, here I go! Let's do this! Direct from Naruto's ninja handbook! **Everywhere Shuriken Jutsu!"** every clone launched a barrage of shuriken.

Gaara's mind was racing ' _My body hasn't recovered yet, have to use the sand to defend.'_ he blocked the shuriken.

The clones all charged in, a few kicking him into the air " **NA-RU-TO-2K! UZUMAKI BARRAGE!"** the rest of them all punched him, with the last 2 ending it with brutal suckerpunches "From Naruto's handbook!" the final punches sent Gaara crashing to the ground below them.

' _That kid…'_

"This time I'll use both legs for a barrage of 4,000 kicks!"

' _Where did this come from all of a sudden? Where did that strength come from? There's no way, not to him!_ There's absolutely no way I'm going to lose to a guy like him!" he unleashed a massive burst of sand, dissipating every single clone, and when the smoke cleared, Shukaku appeared in his full form.

"So that's it, the monster inside of him."

"Well what do you know, I never thought you'd bring this out of me!"

Naruto suddenly found himself enveloped in sand ' _I used up all my chakra on all those Shadow Clones.'_ he was about to be enveloped, but his mind flashed to those around him ' _Tatsu… Sasuke… all of you…'_ right before he was completely engulfed, he wiped some blood from his lips and began forming hand seals from within the Sand Coffin.

"This is the end for you. **Sand Buri-"**

" **Summoning Jutsu!"** the Sand Coffin burst open, and Naruto appeared atop of Gamabunta, the toad boss ' _No matter what, I'll protect both of you!'_

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Gaara let out a sinister chuckle "You really are good at amusing me."

' _Those hours of practice are finally paying off, this'll be a breeze.'_

" **What the-?"** Gamabunta looked up " **Oh great, you again."** then he saw Shukaku " **Well will you look at that, Shukaku the Sand Spirit"**

"What do you say, will you fight alongside me today Chief Toad?"

" **...Kid, you really know how to rack up a debt. Fine, but we're drinking sake after this the age limit be damned. Got it?"**

"Got it."

Gamabunta drew his tanto " **Alright kid, let's do this."** he charged " **Hang on tight now small fry!"** he stabbed Shukaku with the blade " **How do you like that?!"** he managed to cut off one of Shukaku's arms before breaking away, causing it to dissolve into sand, the blade landing a fair distance away and summoning a shockwave ' _ **This guy's no joke, I barely managed to make that cut he's so heavy. If I don't end this quick, the landscape's going to start changing around here."**_

"Hey chief hold on a second, don't go over in that direction. Tatsu and the others are still there, try and lure him over this way if you can okay? I've gotta take him out, otherwise they're all as good as dead."

"Interesting, interesting! Not bad, Naruto Uzumaki!" Gaara roared, and suddenly appeared on top of Shukaku's head, his eyes void of pupils.

"What the hell is that?"

" **A spiritualist medium."** Gamabunta told him.

"To thank you for entertaining me here today, I'll show you the true power of the manifestation of the sand." Gaara snarled with a malicious smirk.

" **The circles under his eyes, they're signs of insomnia, evidence that the medium's been possessed by the Shukaku. Those possessed by Shukaku the Sand Spirit are no longer able to sleep soundly through the night, the terror is too great. If one does sleep, the Shukaku will eat will eat away at your psyche until the person that you once were ceases to exist. Since he normally doesn't get much sleep, the medium's personality tends to become quite unstable. But as long as the spiritualist medium is awake, the Shukaku's true power is held in check. The only danger is if the medium finally falls asleep."**

" **Playing Possum Jutsu."** Gaara formed a hand seal, then his upper body slumped.

" **Oh crap."**

The jutsu then awoke Shukaku to its fullest extent, and he let out a psychotic howl " **I'm finally free, here I come baby! Here we go, I hope you're ready to die! Let's do this!"**

" **I'm gonna jump."**

"Huh?" was all Naruto could get out.

" **Wind Style: Air Bullets!"** Shukaku unleashed a sharp and fast blast of wind.

" **Water Style: Liquid Bullets!"** Gamabunta leapt into the air and countered Shukaku's blast of wind with a blast of water, raining down on the forest like a hurricane, the process repeating itself.

"Chief, there's one more coming!" Naruto cried.

Gamabunta took a direct hit.

" **YEAH!"** Shukaku howled triumphantly " **I did it, I killed him! I KILLED HIM!"**

Gamabunta emerged, hurt but alive " **Now that kind of hurt, that was an awful lot of chakra that you blasted me with I have to admit. Hit me with a couple more of those, even I won't last much longer."**

"Chief, what should we do?"

" **Well for starters, you could wake up the spiritualist medium to release that jutsu!"**

"How am I supposed to do that?"

" **Just fire off a few rounds at him! Liquid Bullets!"** he quickly countered an Air Bullet with a Liquid Bullet and grabbed Shukaku by the shoulders " **Now's your chance!"** unfortunately, he lost his grip and was forced to retreat.

"Hey chief, you're going to have to keep a grip on him if you want me to get a shot in."

" **My body doesn't have any claws or horns to dig into the enemy with."**

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

" **Use a transformation jutsu to change into something that has what we need. Then again, I'm not particularly good at transformations."**

"HUH?!"

" **Don't worry about it, you shall act upon my will and make a hand sign. A combined transformation, conjure up something with fangs and claws!"**

"Let's see…"

" **Here we go!"** Gamabunta charged.

Naruto felt inspiration hit him "I've got it! _This one's for you Kurama!'_

" **Transform!"**

" **Transformation Jutsu!"** in a puff of smoke, in place of Naruto and Gamabunta was Kurama in all of his foxy glory, as I will refer to him from now on.

" **Air Bullet!"** Shukaku was quick to unleash another blast of air.

Kurama was quick to jump over it and leapt forward.

Shukaku smacked Kurama away with his tail.

Kurama charged in and attempted to grab Shukaku with his claws, then dodged another blast of air " **This isn't gonna work, his power just keeps increasing."**

"Come on, he just needs a good smack on the head!" Naruto yelled from within the transformation.

" **Tell me something I don't know. Here we go!"** Kurama grabbed a large tree with one of his tails and charged, using the tree to counter a blast of air, then charged through the smoke and bit down on Shukaku's sand-flesh, causing him to scream in pain " **Okay kid, you're on!"**

"Let's do it! Rise and shine!" as the transformation disappeared, Naruto lunged forward through the air and slugged Gaara in the face "How's that?"

" **Good, not much time has passed since the medium went under. That one blow should've done the trick."**

" **Aw that's just great!"** Shukaku howled " **Give me a break, I just got here!"**

Gamabunta was now being pushed back as he struggled to hold back Shukaku " **We may have released the jutsu, but this guy's still got some fight left."**

Gaara's eyes shot open and he glared at Naruto's charging form ' _He disrupted my jutsu._ **Sand Coffin!"** he trapped Naruto within the sand.

Naruto found himself being protected by Gamabunta's tongue ' _The Chief's tongue is surrounding me.'_

"Do you think I'm a fool?!" Gaara's sand began swallowing Naruto's lower body.

" **Damn, how much strength does this guy have left?"** Gamabunta wondered " **This ain't good, Naruto and I have already used up all of our chakras."**

"I'll wipe you from the face of the Earth, I will not cease to exist!"

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At the site of the battle with Orochimaru, Sarutobi realized that he didn't have enough strength left to full seal Orochimaru's soul, and instead settled for sealing the part of his soul within his arms, robbing Orochimaru of his ability to use jutsu.

Once that was done, Sarutobi bid Orochimaru a fond farewell and died with a smile on his face after reciting one last proverb.

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After being poisoned by Kankuro but winning the battle, Shino regained consciousness after his father Shibi injected his parasites in him to remove the poison.

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Naruto looked back and saw Gaara's hold on Dosu tightening ' _Just hold on a little longer, I've almost got him.'_

"Believe me, I will kill you." Gaara vowed, "I will not cease to exist."

"I'm running out of time, I have to stop this monster before it's too late. _I don't need much Kurama, just please give me some of your chakra.'_

" **Right, just be careful."**

' _Thanks.'_ with a mighty roar and his headband coming off and jacket bursting open, Naruto began generating Kurama's chakra ' _I don't care what it takes, I'm going to protect everyone!_ Get ready you crazy monster!" he charged forward.

"DIE!" Gaara caught Naruto with his sand.

"I… I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!" and with that, he rammed his forehead into Gaara's, causing Shukaku to crumble into sand and disappear.

" **A plain old headbutt huh? Well he's not the most elegant fighter I've ever seen but to dredge up the chakra he needed, worn out as he was, he might be the biggest knucklehead I've ever come across, but I haven't seen a kid with this much promise in ages. Wish I could stick around to see how this ends, but I've reached my limit too."** Gamabunta disappeared in a large cloud of smoke, leaving only his tanto behind.

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Critically damaged, Orochimaru called off the invasion and fled the village with his forces, but the damage had been done.

Sarutobi was gone.

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Naruto and Gaara were both thrown back onto trees, bloody and exhausted.

"That's it… I can't go any further…" Naruto panted "I've used up all my chakra, and from the look of it so have you. You and I are a lot alike, more than you know. We shouldn't be doing this."

Both took a stance, charged, and charged forward to finish it.

But only Naruto's fist connected and he slugged Gaara in the face, but both were sent crashing to the forest floor, with Naruto being the victor ' _It's over… I won…'_

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"He pulled it off…" the sand crumbled, and Dosu fell to one knee as he hit the branch.

Tatsu formed a Shadow Clone that slung Dosu's arm over his shoulder "I've got you, you alright?"

"Considering I was almost crushed by sand, not that bad actually. Still, I can't believe he pulled it off."

"I can, I never doubted him for a second, and I also knew he had to do it alone. Sure I could've helped him and one-shotted Gaara, but what would've happened to his pride if I did? If I did help him he would've lived sure, but that would've meant crushing his pride completely. Hayate-sensei taught me a lot, but this definitely stood out. There are two types of battles, and as he weight we have to know the difference between the two. There's a fight to protect one's life, and a fight to protect one's pride. In that battle, Naruto was fighting for his pride."

"I see. You're really wise."

"Not really, I just had a good teacher."

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Gaara stared at Naruto's downed form ' _What could it be that makes him so strong? Him and Tatsu Kamikaze both, how are they so strong? I will not disappear, I will not cease to exist. I won't!'_

' _I won…'_ Naruto slowly started inching his way forward, recalling his past and how he'd felt the same loneliness as Gaara, and how Haku felt he had no purpose either.

"No, stay away!"

"It's almost… unbearable, isn't it? The feeling of being all alone. I know that feeling. I've been there, in that dark and lonely place. But now there are others, other people who mean a lot to me. I care more about them than I do myself, and I won't let anyone hurt them. That's why I won't ever give up, I will stop you even if I have to kill you."

"But why? Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?"

"Because they saved me from myself, they rescued me from my loneliness. They were the first to accept me for who I am. They're my friends."

' _Love… is that the thing that makes him so strong?'_

"Naruto, that's enough." Sasuke leapt down beside him "Dosu's okay, the sand crumbled away when you beat him. This guy's out of chakra, he's no threat anymore."

Naruto sighed "That's a relief."

That was when Kankuro and Temari showed up "You…"

"That's enough." Gaara said softly "It's over…"

"But Gaara… _I never thought I'd see this. He's had it._ Alright Gaara." they slung his arms over their shoulders and left.

Tatsu leapt down "Let them go, there's no need to fight anymore."

"Right." Sasuke looked down to where Naruto had fallen asleep "He really did it…"

"I never had a doubt. Hey sorry about knocking you out in the Forest of Death, there were a couple of things I thought you weren't ready to see."

"Like your Rasengan?"

"And something of Naruto's. Tell you what, when he wakes up we'll tell you everything."

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As Temari and Kankuro carried him away, Gaara's thoughts drifted to Naruto ' _Who knows, Naruto Uzumaki? Perhaps even I, someday…_ Temari, Kankuro, I'm sorry."

They shared an awkward look "Don't worry about it."

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With the barrier down, Kakashi and the rest of the jonin rushed in and discovered Sarutobi's body.

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2 days passed.

Naruto sat in his apartment, thinking of Sarutobi ' _Old man… he's really gone…'_ he looked at his photo of Team 7.

Then he heard a knock on the door "Naruto, you ready?"

"Yeah, just a second." he came out and met Sasuke "Hey, where's Tatsu?"

"I stopped by his apartment, he wasn't there."

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The funeral for Sarutobi and the rest of the casualties from the invasion was being held on the roof of the Hokage building, with rain pouring down, with some believing that even the heavens were weeping.

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Tatsu sat on the 4th Hokage's head on the Hokage Monument, mourning by himself ' _That's another person I care about that I've lost, not to mention that Hayate-sensei fell into a coma because of his sickness. Yet another bitch-slap by the gods themselves.'_

"I figured you'd be here."

Tatsu looked back to see a purple-haired woman standing behind him "Yugao."

"I know you're really hurting right now."

"Why the hell would I be hurting? Just because the closest thing to a grandfather I've ever had died, my sensei/father figure is in a coma, and my brother's dead which I still haven't gotten over, doesn't automatically mean I'm sad." then he calmed down considerably "Tell me something Yugao, why do they do it? Why do people risk their lives for others?"

"Well when someone passes away, it's the end. His past and future, all the dreams he once had, they disappear along with him. This is true even if he dies honorably in battle, as so many have, as your parents did. All the ties that bind him to the living are severed- all but one, the most important one of all, people. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers, the people who were important to him. And those people, the ones left behind, are joined together in a great circle by their shared memories of him- a circle of friendship, trust and sacrifice that grows larger and stronger as time passes. It's hard to explain it. We remain in the circle together, we have no choice. It's important to us."

"So we do it because we have to. I get it, somewhat. My brother used to tell me the same thing. Still, I'm sad he's gone."

"Thing how sad it would be if he died for nothing, but he left us something priceless. Don't worry, you'll understand someday."

"Actually Yugao, I think I do." Tatsu looked up to see the rain stop and the sun come out "I owe you Yugao, thanks. _Don't worry old man, even though you're gone the will of fire is stronger than ever before. The sparks you left behind have kindled the flame among us young leaves of the next generation, a mighty flame burning brightly and shining its light on the village and protecting it for years to come. I swear it on my life.'_

 **A/N:**

 **It didn't occur to me that I didn't describe Tatsu's appearance until now. He's about 3 inches taller than Sasuke, short kurt brown hair like Kazuma from Noragami, brown eyes, glasses and basically the same gi design as Goku from Resurrection F, only there's no symbol, the gi is a medium blue, the wristbands and boots are black, and he has a katana strapped to his back.**

 **For the record, since Zaku and Kin were saved by Kakashi and the others, Orochimaru used Kabuto's other teammates Yoroi and Misumi as sacrifices for the Reanimation Jutsu instead. I figured it only made sense since they got their asses handed to them in the preliminaries and they were never seen again, so at least I made got some use out of them this time.**

 **Dosu was caught by Gaara in place of Sakura in this to make up for Sakura's absence, and to prove that Naruto can make friends even if they come from different villages.**

 **That little speech about fighting for one's pride was a quote from Bleach, Ukitake said it when Ichigo was fighting the Grand Fisher.**


	9. Search for Tsuande, Red Dawn Approaches

**Sarahgri99:** Yeah, as much as love writing out the fight scenes, great stories are ones that balance out action, comedy and drama effectively. As for Sasuke reacting to Naruto's secret, well that will come in a later chapter.

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A week had passed since the failed invasion, and repairs to the village were very slow-going.

Tatsu hadn't expected to be summoned to a meeting with the elders Koharu and Homura, and met Shikamaru on the way in "Hey Shika."

"You too?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yeah, what's this about anyway?"

"Hell if I know, it's too damn early for a meeting like this anyway. Such a drag."

"I feel you, I was having a good dream too." Tatsu opened the door and went in first, only to see Koharu, Homura and Danzo sitting and facing them, with Kakashi, Asuma, Anko, Ibiki and Genma present as well "Oh, hi."

Kakashi gave an eye smile "Nice of you to join us Tatsu, you too Shikamaru." he got several nods of approval.

Homura stepped forward first "Thank you for joining us Tatsu Kamikaze, Shikamaru Nara. Due to your performances in the Chunin exams as well as the invasion, we would be honored to grant you both the promotion to the rank of chunin."

Tatsu and Shikamaru shared a surprised look, and Tatsu spoke first "Why only us? I'm honored by your decision, but there are others who did a lot more than me, especially Naruto and Sasuke."

Then Koharu stepped forward "Due to the invasion, it was almost decided that no one at all would receive a promotion. But in Shikamaru's case, the Third showed a great admiration for your match and his intentions were to have you promoted." she received a nod "And in your case Tatsu, your abilities, intelligence and pragmatism in battle have convinced us to promote you."

"I see."

"In regards to Naruto." Danzo finally spoke "He has not displayed a temperament or intellect fitting of a chunin, so he will not be promoted."

' _Like I thought, they've got it out for him._ Very well, and I'm guessing you're not promoting Sasuke because you didn't see enough of his capabilities before the match was interrupted?"

"Exactly."

Shikamaru received his chunin vest first, then leaned in to Tatsu "You heard that lame-ass excuse they gave for not promoting Naruto, you can tell those old bags out of him."

"Yeah I know." Tatsu whispered low enough so only he could hear "Especially Danzo, you'd better be careful of him."

"Right." then Shikamaru made his way out with Asuma.

Homura held out a vest to Tatsu "Congratulations on being promoted to the rank of chunin."

Tatsu accepted the vest and bowed "I'm honored."

"Also, there is one other thing." Kakashi spoke up.

Tatsu immediately knew what he meant "You mean Dosu's team that defected from the Sound."

"Yeah. Come with me."

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Kakashi led Tatsu down to the Intel Division "You know what's gonna happen right?"

"I imagine they were hauled in for questioning." Tatsu guessed "Actually, I saw Dosu surrender willingly, the same with his teammates after I summoned them back from Mount Hakurei."

"Yeah, so that helps their case somewhat." Kakashi led him inside.

"About time you made it." Anko commented.

"You obviously don't know him." Tatsu pointed out, then saw Sasuke standing on the other side of the room, next to where Dosu's squad had been sitting "You got called in too?"

Sasuke sighed "Yeah, they wanted me to be there as a witness for their actions. Let me just start with this: He attacked my team, or me and Sakura since she abandoned Tatsu and Naruto, while I was unconscious. He willingly gave over his scroll and told us that Orochimaru was planning something, but he didn't know what. Then came Kabuto attempting to abduct Zaku and Kin, claiming that they were still of use to Orochimaru in some way, but then Kakashi interfered and Kabuto got away. In order to protect them, I used some of Tatsu's blood to take them to the home of the dragon summons."

"In the month that followed as well as the invasion, he saved my daughter twice, once from an attempted murder and once from enemy ninja." Inoichi continued "Now the only question is, why would you turn against Orochimaru so easily."

"Allow me to speak for my team." Dosu finally spoke "He sent us on a suicide mission, a fight with Sasuke after attempting to mark him. Then he was planning to use them as sacrifices for the Reanimation Jutsu. We could've gone anywhere when it was over. We could've left after the attack, gone to the Sand and told them it was Orochimaru who killed the Kazekage, but we didn't. We stood down and willingly came to you."

The jonin, as well as Tatsu and Sasuke, all shared a look, and Sasuke stepped forward "There's only one question now: What do you have that we could want?"

"I know the location of Orochimaru's hideouts, and I mean all of them. In exchange for asylum for me and my teammates in the village, I can give you their locations."

Kakashi then decided to test him and pointed to a map on the wall, then used a kunai to draw blood from his palm "How many?"

"5."

"Mark them."

Dosu did so.

Anko examined it, even though that was a very likely bluff "Yup, it checks out."

Kakashi looked at Dosu "Alright, you managed to save your and your teammates' asses. Since we're lacking a Hokage right now, we'll choose to keep you in the village, for now at least. You'll be under ANBU surveillance 24/7, and no leaving the village for any reason-"

"I don't think that last part will be necessary." a new voice cut in "I'll take care of him."

Kakashi turned to see a white-haired figure in the doorway "Master Jiraiya. Fine, we'll let you decide what to do with them."

"Well to be fair Kakashi, they did willingly turn themselves over and these two runts and my own apprentice can vouch for them. Let's show them a little more Leaf hospitality. I'll see if I can find a place for the three of them to stay."

"They can stay with me."

Kakashi's head snapped towards the one who spoke "Sasuke?"

"Dosu's already more than proven himself in my opinion, and they're his teammates so I choose to trust them." he took the key from Anko and uncuffed the three of them "Now then, what's your first move?"

"This." they all did the same thing simultaneously: ripping the Sound headbands off and crushing them under their feet.

"Alright, I'm convinced. Come on, I'm willing to let you guys stay at my compound."

Jiraiya nodded in approval "Works for me. _I guess there's a good apple on a bad tree after all._ Alright then, whichever one of you is Tatsu I wanna talk to you about something."

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Next morning, things were getting edgy as two shadowy figures in straw hats and black cloaks with red clouds entered the village, one of them possessing the Sharingan.

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Sasuke led the Former Sound Trio, Kin in particular, into his clan's compound and helped them to get settled "Alright guys, just let me know if you need anything."

"Sasuke, wait."

Sasuke looked back to see Kin standing behind him "Something wrong?"

"Well…" Kin then wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck, and he could tell she was gonna cry "Wh-Why are you doing all of this after all we've done?"

Sasuke slowly wrapped his arms around her back and rubbed it gently "What have you done? You were just carrying out your orders, what could I possibly be mad about? Besides, I can read people. You're a kind and gentle person, and I could see in your eyes that you were disgusted by the things you had to do. But you don't have to worry, I'll protect you from here on out."

"Th-Thank you…" the sobs turned into sniffles, then eventually turned into light snoring as she fell asleep in his arms.

' _I guess I've got someone to protect after all.'_ he gently took her into his arms, kissed her forehead, and took her into one of the other rooms.

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Sasuke woke up the next morning and found Kin firmly latched onto his chest ' _Oh yeah, no matter what I tried she wouldn't let go. Still, she really looks beautiful when she sleeps.'_ then he blushed slightly, but it died down ' _Great, Kakashi's turning me into a perv.'_ then he heard a knock on his window and found Tatsu there with a huge shit-eating grin ' _Oh great.'_ he went over to the window "What do you want?"

Tatsu shrugged "Well for one, I'm here for Dosu not you. Second, Kakashi's looking for you. Thirdly, nice. 8/10."

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Jiraiya was doing his favorite pastime, peaking at girls in hot springs "Oh yes, that's it that's it. Oh baby I'm telling you, you've gotta love the Leaf Village. The girls here are off the charts!"

"You've still playing the buffoon I see." a voice said.

"Just doing a little research." Jiraiya turned around and saw a figure behind him wearing a mask, a forest green kimono and carrying a black katana at his side "Haven't seen you in awhile… Dragon." he held out his hand.

The figure, now known by the name Dragon, accepted the hand "It's been a long time Master Jiraiya. I trust _he_ is doing well."

"He single-handedly defeated the one-tailed Shukaku in one-on-one combat about a month ago, and he's grown even stronger since."

"I see, that's good. I was saddened when I heard about the Third."

"Yeah, it's unfortunate."

"And the elders tried to make you the 5th Hokage?"

"Obviously, but of course I turned them down and convinced them to let _him_ go track down Tsunade and bring her back. He's bringing two with him, but the problem is that this organization is about to make their move. I want you to tail them from the shadows and keep an eye out in case they show up."

"I understand."

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Kakashi looked up from his book to see Kurenai and Asuma approaching him "Hey guys, you two seem to be getting along."

Kurenai blushed "Idiot, Anko just asked me to pick up some rice dumplings for her."

"Sure…"

"What're you doing here, aside from catching up on your reading?" asked Asuma.

"I need to buy something to put on a grave, plus I'm meeting somebody here. I'm just waiting on Sasuke." he noticed the cloaked figure's hand twitch inside the shop.

"Huh, it's not like you to be waiting on somebody. Is it for Obito?"

"Yeah, kind of."

That was when Sasuke showed up "It's not like you to show up early Kakashi, what gives?"

"Well sometimes I do."

"Yeah when hell freezes over." Sasuke looked inside the shop but saw nobody there "Let's eat somewhere else, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, at least when it comes to food."

"Yeah I know, Tatsu told me."

"...I will find him and punch him."

"Sure." Kakashi shot Kurenai and Asuma some looks, and received two nods, and they blitzed away.

"What was that about?"

"Oh nothing."

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Asuma and Kurenai were quick to confront the two cloaked figures "You guys aren't from around here are you, what're you doing in this village?"

"It's been a long time Asuma, Kurenai." one of them greeted.

"The fact that you know our names means that you're a shinobi formerly of this village."

The figure slowly lifted up his hat, revealing his fully-matured Sharingan.

Asuma and Kurenai froze in shock "You're-"

The figure removed his hat.

"Well what do you know? Itachi. Itachi Uchiha."

"Are these friends of yours Itachi? Well then, I suppose I should introduce myself." the second figure removed his hat "Hope we can get acquainted later, the name's Kisame Hoshigaki."

"Why should we wait until later? When I can just wipe the floor with you both now."

"Boy Itachi, it looks like they hate you as much in this village as they do in mine."

"We know who you are Kisame, we've heard all about you." Kurenai told him "You hail from the Hidden Mist. Suspected of espionage and the murder of a feudal lord, you're a rogue ninja from the Land of Water wanted in every nation."

Asuma nodded "You're a high level S-ranked criminal, listed prominently in the Bingo Book. Itachi I've gotta hand it to you, the fact that you'd even show your face in this village after what you did takes some guts."

Itachi remained stoic "I'm warning you two, you don't want to interfere with me. It isn't my desire to kill you."

"You know that's pretty hilarious, coming from a guy who murdered his own people. Now come on, out with it. I know you didn't come skulking in here dressed like that for no good reason, what are you after?"

Kisame drew his large bandaged sword from his back "This guy is getting on my nerves, can I kill him?"

"Well I guess we're not going anywhere without a fight, just try not to overdo it. Your moves tend to stand out." Itachi warned.

"They're as good as dead." Kisame quickly swung his sword.

Asuma dodged the first stroke and blocked the second with his Chakra Blades.

Itachi quickly realized what Kurenai was up to ' _I see. Genjutsu.'_

Asuma found Kisame's physical strength and sword rather difficult ' _He's bearing down with just the edge of his sword, his strength is unreal.'_

' _My massive blade shocks him.'_ Kisame quickly retracted the blade, cutting Asuma from his shoulder down to his elbow and shredding some of the bandages, revealing scales on it that looked like a shark's teeth "It doesn't slice, it cuts you to ribbons!"

"It's about time, Kurenai."

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Using her genjutsu, Kurenai wrapped Itachi and Kisame in trees and appeared above Itachi from within one of the trees "Alright, let's end this!" then she suddenly found herself bound by a tree instead.

Itachi had reversed it with his Sharingan "Genjutsu of that level doesn't work on me."

' _He used a genjutsu reflection?'_ she bit down on her lip to free herself and dodged Itachi's kunai, but wasn't able to block her kick and was sent into the river below.

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"Kurenai!" Asuma cried out.

"I wouldn't be looking over there if I were you." Kisame warned.

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"You live up to your reputation." Itachi appeared behind Kurenai "However…."

"However, this is the end of the line, for you anyway." a new voice cut in.

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Asuma had managed to use his Chakra Blades to cut Kisame's cheek ' _Got him.'_

Kisame quickly formed a hand seal to activate a jutsu " **Water Style-"**

" **Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"** an identical water shark countered his, the attacks cancelling each other out.

"He used the same jutsu I did!"

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you." Asuma commented "But what're you doing here?"

Kakashi shrugged "Well you know I asked you to take care of those two earlier, but I guess I got a little worried."

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Itachi looked behind him to see Kakashi's Shadow Clone "Kakashi. It's you."

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"False alarm there huh?" Teuchi guessed.

Naruto slurped down some ramen "Yeah what happened there was I stuck it behind my headband because I was so freaked out it was gonna fall out of my pants or something while I was working out earlier this morning."

"Well it all worked out in the end, now go on and eat up so you can do your best. You've got more training ahead of you don't you?"

"You bet I do, I'm gonna work my butt off!"

"With that attitude, you'll master it in no time." a new voice cut in.

Naruto looked back to see Tatsu behind him "Tatsu."

"That's my name, don't wear it out. Hey Teuchi, how's Ayame doing?"

"She's just on a supply run." Teuchi told him.

"Okay, but I'm leaving a Shadow Clone behind just to be safe. I'm going on a mission and I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, so when the clone's gone Lee will be here to keep an eye on her."

"Kind of overprotective don't you think?"

"It's my job." then he looked down "Anyway pack your stuff Naruto, we're going on a mission."

Naruto was quick to slurp down the rest of his ramen.

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Kakashi held a kunai to Itachi's neck "Okay talk, what's a rogue ninja like you doing in this village?"

Itachi looked back "Kakashi Hatake."

' _Those eyes haven't changed, this one's a true heir of the Sharingan. That means I've gotta be ready for the worst.'_

"Well well what a surprise, that's how you copied my jutsu." Kisame noted "So there really is someone besides Itachi with those crazy eyes. You're Kakashi aren't you, the copy ninja."

"You can imagine my surprise, I go to check out a couple of lowlife vagabonds in a tea house and I find none other than Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, the scourge of the Hidden Mist Village."

"How about that, you know my name. I'm honored."

"I assume that bizarre excuse for a sword is one of the Seven Swords of the Mist, the one called Shark Skin?"

"I heard that you and Zabuza had it out awhile back."

"Yes we did, and Tatsu Kamikaze was the one to defeat him." he drew a kunai behind his back.

Kisame raised his sword "Go ahead, I'd love to cut you to ribbons."

"Kisame, stop it." Itachi ordered "If you take this man on then it won't be without cost. Furthermore, it will take time and the commotion is liable to bring more shinobi running. Your way is inefficient and unnecessarily risky. Don't lose sight of our goal."

"Let's hear it, what is your goal exactly?" the clone confronting Kisame vanished, leaving only the original Kakashi.

"We're looking for something, and we know it's here."

"And what would that be? What is this thing you're looking for?"

"My way is more efficient than Kisame's." he drew some shuriken from his robe.

" **Ninja Art: Water Style: Water Wall!"** Kakashi quickly leapt back and formed a Water Wall to counter Itachi's Water Fang Bomb, just barely succeeding ' _The speed of his jutsu is incredible, I didn't even see a hand sign. The shuriken in his hand were just a ruse to distract me from his Water Style attack.'_

"You're good, you almost anticipated my moves." another Itachi, one of them being a Shadow Clone, stabbed Kakashi in the back "Almost."

Kakashi dissolved into water, revealed to be a Water Clone.

Kurenai received a kunai from where Kakashi was hiding underwater "Nice job Kakashi."

"Get back Kurenai, that one's the Shadow Clone!" Kakashi suddenly emerged and pulled her away as the Shadow Clone exploded.

"Kakashi! Kurenai!" Asuma leapt towards them ' _He just blew up his own Shadow Clone.'_

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Naruto didn't look amused "Oh come on, why do I have to get stuck with you and the Mummy-Man over there on some mission when I could be learning a new jutsu?"

Tatsu noticed the vein throbbing in Dosu's head "Dosu, ignore him. Naruto, stop whining. There's a certain woman we're looking for, a very remarkable woman."

"Well count me out, I don't have time to help you find a girlfriend when Ino's already right here!"

' _...Not going there._ I have a certain jutsu I plan to teach you on the way."

"And now you have my attention. I'll go pack my stuff!" and he rushed off.

"Sucker."

"Tatsu." said Dosu "Who exactly are we going to find?"

"Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin like Orochimaru. Jiraiya talked the elders into making her the Fifth Hokage, and she can heal Hayate-sensei. Apparently his illness got to him again and now he's in a coma."

"What sort of disease is it?"

"Honestly I don't know, it's been around since the era of the First Hokage but there's still no cure. Only Tsunade can fix it."

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Kakashi let out a grunt ' _Okay, that hurt…'_

"Are you alright?" then Kurenai saw Itachi behind him.

"Stay on your toes, this guy was made chief of ANBU Black Ops when he was only 13."

"Alright he's tough, we get it." Asuma noted.

"Tough? You haven't seen half of what he can do."

"For someone who is not of the Uchiha Clan, you've mastered the Sharingan well." Itachi noted, impressed "However, not being one of us, you lack our physical strength and that's something you can't copy."

' _He's right, my body doesn't have the stamina.'_

"Why is it that the Uchiha clan is known by all and killed by all? I'll show you what the Sharingan can do when it's wielded by a true heir of the bloodline." then Itachi activated the next level: his Mangekyo Sharingan.

' _It can't be!_ Close your eyes, don't look at his eyes!"

Asuma and Kurenai did so.

"Listen both of you, whatever happens don't look, if you meet his gaze then you're finished. I'm gonna have to do this alone, my Sharingan against his."

"Indeed, your abilities are impressive." Itachi agreed "They might even be enough to resist the Mangekyo Sharingan. However, there is something they can't defend against- this special Sharingan jutsu called Tsukuyomi. Only someone with the Sharingan and Kekkei Genkai can defeat me."

' _Sasuke.'_ then Kakashi was hit by Itachi's Tsukuyomi, and spent a full 72 hours being tortured by Itachi, making it feel like an eternity. He eventually found himself back in reality, and soon fell to his knees.

"Kakashi, what is it?" asked Kurenai "Can we open our eyes now?"

"No, not yet."

"What just happened?" asked Asuma "One second the guy's talking, and the next second you hit the ground."

' _3 days in that world, and less than a moment passed in this one. Why not just kill me? If he wanted to then he could.'_

Kisame appeared beside Itachi "After all that the fool's spirit is still intact. Meanwhile, you risked overusing those eyes of yours. You know that's dangerous."

"This thing you've come for… is it Sasuke?"

"No, the legacy of the Fourth Hokage." Itachi told him.

' _Naruto.'_ Kakashi thought back to how Jiraiya told him about Orochimaru joining an organization of rogue ninja called the Akatsuki that might be after the Kyuubi "The Kyuubi's spirit inside Naruto, that's what you're after? You're not the only ones are you? There are 7 more of you out there searching, hunting. I know all about you, you call yourselves the Akatsuki right?"

"...Kisame, we'll take Kakashi with us but we don't the others. Get rid of them.

"Right." Kisame charged and prepared to cut them down, when…

" **Dynamite Kick!"** a green blur kicked Kisame in the face, sending him crashing backwards.

"Guy?" Kakashi guessed.

"Sorry, but no."

"Wait, Lee?!"

"I was training nearby and sensed the commotion so I rushed to help and waited for an opening to strike."

"Who do we have here?" Kisame wondered.

"The Hidden Leaf's Green Beast, Rock Lee. Student of the Leaf's Blue Beast, Might Guy."

"Might Guy huh? Might stupid-looking Guy is more like it."

"Don't underestimate him." Itachi warned.

Lee got into a taijutsu stance ' _So this is him, Itachi Uchiha.'_ he saw Kakashi collapse and quickly slung him over his shoulder "I can't imagine what they must have put him through."

"Lee, get out of here!" Asuma barked "Close your eyes, don't look at Itachi. You'll get caught in this jutsu."

"Calm down Asuma-sensei, I know what I'm doing. After spending so much time training to fight Tatsu I know how to counter a Dojutsu user. Both of you, open your eyes now."

"But if we-"

"Don't worry, just look into his eyes. That's the key to fighting a user of a Visual Jutsu, and this especially applies to Sharingan users. Focus on his feet, that way you can read what his next move will be."

"Alright, but that trick sounds a lot easier said than done." Kurenai pointed out "And unlike you Lee, we haven't had Guy's training."

"I know, I haven't fully-mastered this either, but it's all we have to go on. It takes skill to anticipate an opponent's moves just from watching his feet, but I don't have time to teach you now. You'll just have to do your best."

"So what do we do?" asked Asuma.

"Kurenai-sensei, please take Kakashi-sensei to the Medical Corps. Asuma-sensei, back me up until Guy-sensei gets here."

"Got it."

"Alright, I sent word for ANBU but until they get here we hold them off."

"Interesting, I'll give you credit for guts." Kisame noted "Pretty impressive for a kid."

"No Kisame, we're pulling out." Itachi told him "We're not here to fight a full scale battle, tempting as it may be it's not the way to do this. Let's go."

"That's too bad, it was just getting fun. They don't know how lucky they are." and then they pulled out.

Lee frowned "They left."

"Lee!" that was when Guy showed up "Where's the enemy?"

"Gone."

"Sorry, I was a little sidetracked with-"

"Save the excuses, that's Kakashi-sensei's thing. For now, we have to get Kakashi-sensei to the Medical Corp."

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"Alright, I'm ready!" Naruto wasn't ready, mainly because he'd basically packed his entire apartment in his backpack "Let's move out!"

Tatsu sweatdropped "I think you might've overdone it a little, you do know we're not going on a trip around the world right?"

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After spending a half hour unloading, they were on the road.

Naruto was acting more hyper than ever "Well come on Tatsu, I'm on pins and needles! What's this new jutsu you're gonna teach me? The last time around was the Crimson Wind jutsu, so is it that Purple Thunder jutsu like Sasuke uses? Come on Tatsu, let's hear it already!"

Tatsu could feel the vein in his forehead throbbing, but suppressed it "Well first of all, I can't teach you Purple Thunder because Sasuke has a lightning nature and you don't. You have a wind nature, which is why I gave you the Crimson Wind jutsu instead. Second, this jutsu doesn't have an official nature. Thirdly, Jiraiya himself told me to teach you this jutsu."

"You mean the Pervy Sage?"

"His name is Jiraiya and he's one of the Legendary Sannin and sage, and one of the strongest ninja in the world at the moment. That, and he was the teacher of the Fourth Hokage."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and you look so much like the Fourth Hokage it's almost laughable, which is probably why he chose to take you on as his disciple."

"...Holy crap, that's awesome! If I'm like the Fourth Hokage then that means I possess the same level of genius he did, I'm on my way to Hokage and laughing!"

Tatsu and Dosu shared a look ' _This is gonna be a looong trip.'_

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Kin was bringing a bag of dumplings over to Naruto's apartment "Alright, I think this is the right address. _Naruto's been so kind about me being part of the Leaf now, it's only right I give him some of these to thank him, and Tatsu too.'_ she managed a small smile ' _One bag for each of them, one for Dosu and Zaku to share, and the last of them for Sasuke.'_ her cheeks instantly turned red ' _I wonder if he's got a sweet tooth…'_

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Sasuke finished another training session ' _I wasn't able to do anything against Gaara, I was too weak and lacked the proper motivation.'_ his thoughts drifted to Kin ' _But now I have something to fight for, someone to protect._ I will never let my friends fall before my eyes, that's my nindo, my ninja way. _Naruto, is that what you discovered after the battle in the Land of Waves?'_

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Itachi and Kisame were watching over Naruto's group, but saw a figure shadowing them.

"I'm pretty certain you could go toe-to-toe with him, though I'm not sure I could. He's on a whole other level." Kisame admitted.

"Yeah, if we faced each other then both of us would be killed." Itachi noted "A rather unappealing outcome. Even if there were more of us, the result would remain the same."

"Never thought I'd have to go up against the Forest Dragon, if we fight him then both the Uchiha clan and the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist will have their names dragged through the mud."

"True. But still, even strongest of opponents always has a weakness."

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Kakashi was out cold.

Lee and the other jonin watched over him "They're trouble aren't they?"

"They are." Guy confirmed "But from the look of things it doesn't appear they've found Naruto yet."

"That's what's crazy." Asuma pointed out "It doesn't add up. I mean they'd already infiltrated the village, it should be easy for them to find Naruto around here."

"Wait, you didn't know?" asked Lee.

"Didn't know what?"

"Naruto left the village a few hours ago."

"What?"

"On a mission with Tatsu and that mummy guy Dosu."

Guy blinked "Well, fu-"

That was when Sasuke came in "Kakashi- Wait, why is Kakashi asleep and why is this room full of jonin? And why the hell is Lee here? What the hell is going on here?"

"Not much really."

"Don't-"

That was when Aoba showed up "Hey, is it true that Itachi has returned? And that he's come here to get Naruto."

"...What?" Sasuke stared for a moment, then his eyes shot wide and he ran out of the room at full speed.

"You idiot! Sasuke, wait!" then Lee rushed out, taking off his weights

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Sasuke blitzed across the village ' _Itachi's come back to the village, huh? And he's after Naruto? Why?'_ he soon made his way to Naruto's apartment "Naruto!"

But Kin came out instead "Sasuke, what're you-"

"Where's Naruto?"

"I don't know, I just got here myself."

Sasuke just took off running ' _If Naruto gets caught then he's as good as dead, there's no way I'll let that happen.'_

"Sasuke, wait!"

Sasuke turned to see Lee run up beside him "What?"

"Naruto left with Tatsu and Dosu a few hours ago, something about that outpost town a ways out from the village."

"Right." they sped out of the village ' _I lost everyone I cared about to Itachi once, I won't let it happen again.'_

"Sasuke, whatever happens, don't get careless or crazy."

Sasuke said nothing.

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Naruto looked around "This town is pretty weird."

Tatsu led Naruto and Dosu to an inn "Alright guys, we're crashing here tonight."

"What? Why? I can still walk."

"We're taking this one step at a time, you guys go settled into the room while I go dig up some information."

"Excuse me." said a voice.

Tatsu looked to see a beautiful woman in her 20's approach him "Can I help you?"

"No, but I can help you. I know who you're looking for, and I think I can be of some help."

"So you know who I'm looking for and where to find her?"

"That's right."

Tatsu looked back to Naruto and Dosu "You guys go get settled while I check this out, and Dosu's in charge." and he left.

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Sasuke led Lee through the forest "Where's that outpost town?"

"It shouldn't be too far off."

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Naruto frowned "Pervy Sage or not, I always end up getting shafted."

"It's not like it's a prostitute." Dosu pointed out "He's just gathering information. It's not like he's trying to get laid." his bandages turned read.

"Dosu, your bandages are turning red."

"Well-" thankfully, he was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Oh come on, don't tell me she dumped you already?" no response "Weird, that would've gotten a fire dragon through the door." Naruto went to answer it.

' _This inn doesn't have room service, and it can't be house-keeping. I have a bad feeling about this._ Naruto, don't!"

Too late. Naruto opened it and found Itachi standing there ' _Oh f*ck.'_

' _Oh f*ck.'_

' _...Sasuke? No, then who is he? The same Sharingan as Sasuke's.'_

"Hard to believe that such a child carries the Kyuubi." Kisame commented.

' _How does this guy know about Kurama?'_

"Naruto, you're coming with us." Itachi told him "Why don't we take a walk."

' _These guys look like the real deal.'_ motioning for Dosu to follow him, Naruto slowly went out into the hallway.

"Hey Itachi." said Kisame "It'll be a pain in the neck if this kid makes a run for it. Maybe I oughta chop off a leg, just in case."

' _Say what?'_

"Right." Kisame slowly advanced.

Then Itachi's voice stopped him "It's been a long time… Sasuke."

Sure enough, Sasuke stood at the other end of the hall, with Lee behind him "Itachi… Uchiha…"

Naruto froze ' _That guy looks exactly like Sasuke.'_

"Well, the Sharingan." Kisame noticed "And he looks an awful lot like you. Itachi, who is this kid?"

"He's my younger brother." Itachi told him.

"That's strange, because the way I heard it the entire Uchiha clan was wiped out by you."

Sasuke drew the tanto Tatsu gave him "Itachi Uchiha, for as long as I can remember I've been living and breathing every day for one single purpose: to kill you."

Naruto froze and recalled how he wanted to kill a certain man ' _This is who Sasuke was talking about, the one he wanted to kill.'_

"My hatred for you hasn't diminished, and I resolved myself to kill you long ago."

Itachi studied Sasuke for a moment ' _His eyes show anger, but not hatred. This isn't what I expected.'_

"But you were wrong when you told me to let my hatred build. You took our parents, everyone I loved, and I hate you for that. But now I've found friends, people who understand my loneliness, and people I've sworn to protect. I will never let my best friends die. That's my nindo, my ninja way. And for the sake of my friends, for those I've sworn to protect, here and now I'll do whatever it takes to defeat you!" and he charged.

Itachi sidestepped Sasuke's attack with ease "Sorry, but you don't interest me at the moment."

"Well get interested! **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** Sasuke fired a Purple Thunder blast.

Itachi stopped the attack with one hand.

Naruto stared in horror ' _I… I don't believe it, he brushed off Sasuke's attack like it was nothing. Even with the both of us and Dosu and Bushy-Brow teaming up, there's no way we'd defeat them. I've gotta do something!'_ he tried building up Kurama's chakra.

"The air is ripe with chakra." Kisame noted "This must be it, the power of the Kyuubi."

Naruto bit down on his thumb " **Ninja Art: Summoning-"**

"Too slow." Kisame brought down Shark Skin.

' _I can't feel my chakra. Dammit! What the hell is going on?'_

"Sorry kid, my blade Sharkskin cuts through chakra and devours it. We don't need the hassle of this kid whipping out any more jutsu. Forget the legs, maybe I oughta start off with those arms of his."

' _Dammit, why isn't it coming?'_

Kisame brought down his sword, only for a cloud of smoke to appear in front of Naruto and for Shark Skin to hit something with a loud metallic clang "What the-?"

When the smoke cleared, Dragon had stopped Kisame's sword with his katana "You both really should have done more research."

"That's right." Tatsu came out with the woman from before, Emi, unconscious and slung over his shoulder "I'm not some man whore that can be seduced so easily. I'm not Jiraiya or Kakashi. Or Naruto."

"Or the one with the nosebleed-covered bandages across his face."

"...Really Dosu? You know what, that's for later."

"Agreed. It's been some time Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki."

Kisame smirked "Now matter where you go Forest Dragon, you'll always be a nuisance to us. It's almost impossible to believe you have been sabotaging our plans all this time."

"Believe whatever you wish, but I won't rest until the ambitions of the Akatsuki are crushed."

"So you somehow managed to release the genjutsu we cast on her?"

"That'd be me." Tatsu gently placed Emi's unconscious form by the wall "It takes a special kind of coward to pull something like that. Using his visual jutsu to control an innocent woman in order to separate me from Naruto and Dosu."

Dragon nodded "I know for a fact that this boy is the one you're truly after."

"That explains how Kakashi knew." Itachi noted "Now I understand, both you and him learned it from Master Jiraiya. You're right, Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after and we will have him."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Itachi, but I won't allow you to harm this boy or any of the others."

"We'll see about that."

"This is actually very convenient, I can eliminate both of you here and now." he formed several hand seals, and the entire room suddenly turned into flesh " **Ninja Art: Dragon Stomach Imprisonment.** Very convenient."

Kisame found his foot and sword being swallowed "What the-?"

"You've both been devoured by the great dragon my friends, welcome to the belly of the beast and he has a very strong and sensitive digestive track so do be careful not to upset him." then he looked over to Tatsu, Naruto, Dosu, Sasuke and Lee "All of you stay calm and stay still, that way you won't be affected."

"Kisame, come." Itachi told him.

Kisame found his sword being swallowed "Easier said than done." he quickly pulled his sword free and took off running, only to see something behind him as he ran "Don't look now but there's a wall of flesh coming after us." he quickly cut some of them down and took off running again "It's too fast, we won't make it. It's no use."

Itachi was quick to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan " **Amaterasu."** he burned through the flesh and the wall, and they got away.

"So we just run away again? We do a lot of that."

"There's no rush for now, we'll get Naruto when the time is right. Besides, I felt it wise for us to find some place to rest for awhile and recharge my powers. _On top of Tsukuyomi, to have to use Amaterasu as well, it was more exhausting than I thought.'_ both his Mangekyo and regular Sharingan faded.

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Dragon stared at the hole ' _He used the black flames of Amaterasu to break through the flesh, I should've expected as much.'_

Naruto stared at the black flames "What is this stuff anyway, some kind of black fire?"

"Stay away from it!" Dragon pulled out a scroll and wrote down a sealing formula "There. **Sealing Jutsu: Fire Seal, now."** he formed the hand seals and slammed his hand on the ground, and the flames disappeared "They're taken care of for the time being at least." he stomped his foot, and the flesh disappeared "Now then Tatsu, I feel you should continue on your mission. I will accompany two of your friends back to the Leaf."

Tatsu nodded "Thanks, we've gotta find her before it's too late."

"I know about the sickness your sensei has, he has 1 month at the most."

"Tatsu." Naruto sounded deadly serious and growlish "Tatsu, it's time for a new game plan right now. I admit I let those goons scare me a little, but that's over. No more running. After all, it's me they're after right? Well okay then, it's time I give them what they want."

"Your resolve is commendable, but at your current level you're no match for either one of them. If I hadn't shown up, you would have been captured for sure."

"Is that right? So what're you suggesting, that we just do nothing?! Sit here waiting for them to hit us again? What kind of strategy is that?!

"Enough! You haven't earned that right. Besides, your sensei was defeated by Itachi so easily. You would most likely be dead right now without me."

"What? Kakashi-sensei?"

"There's nothing worse than seeing those you care about fall in battle, it's like small pieces of your soul are lost with them. What you need is a supreme medical specialist, a master of healing, and soon. Fortunately, that's who you've been sent to find if I'm not mistaken."

Naruto blinked "Tatsu never did mention who we're looking for."

"She's one of the three legendary Sannin, the Slug Queen, the Gambling Fool, the Mistress of Healing, the Legendary Sucker, Lady Tsunade." he turned to Sasuke and Lee "I'll escort the two of you back to your village, while the rest of you continue on your way. Remember, the village is counting on you three." and with that, he grabbed Sasuke and Lee and disappeared before they could protest.

Tatsu turned to Naruto and Dosu "Alright you two, let's move out."

 **A/N:**

 **Dosu tagging along for finding Tsunade was inspired by a fanfiction I read called Three Pawns. Discontinued but really good, do check it out.**

 **Sasuke didn't go into a coma because that was only there to fuel his lust for power, which is for an entirely different reason here.**

 **I thought it was more fitting to give Guy's rival with Kisame to Lee instead to give him some more character development.**

 **Dynamite Kick is Lee's version of Dynamic Entry.**

 **Dragon's name is because of the ANBU mask he wears, but his identity is a surprise for later.**

 **Kin is basically Sasuke's version of Hinata, minus being a stalker.**


	10. Tsunade Found, A Despicable Bargain

Tatsu was leading Dosu and Naruto along the path "For the record guys, I can't sense out her chakra because I've never felt it before. I'd have to get a solid feel for it first." then he noticed that Naruto had stopped walking "What's wrong?"

"Tatsu, what exactly do those guys want with me anyway?" asked Naruto.

"Well…"

"We've been educated on it by Orochimaru." Dosu told him "We also knew about the seal he put on Naruto during the Forest of Death."

"Okay that makes it easier. Anyway Naruto, they're after Kurama."

"But why?"

"Short version, they probably wanna use its power for some nefarious purpose. For now, we've just gotta get you as strong as possible so that you'll be ready when they come back."

"I'll just have to hurry up and get stronger, no other choice! Alright Tatsu, let's find this Tsunade woman you're talking about so she can fix up Kakashi-sensei and we get down to some serious training!" and he bolted ahead.

"I give it 10 minutes before he realizes he doesn't know where he's going."

"Tatsu." said Dosu "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?

"Tsunade is a great healer according to my understanding, do you think… she would be able to heal the scars on my face?"

"Of course, the real question is whether or not she will. Don't worry though, I'll figure out a way to persuade out."

Then Naruto finally came back "Hey Tatsu, this beautiful woman that you've been scouting around for. Is she the Tsunade you mentioned?"

"Hey you can listen, good for you. Why?"

"Well you said she was one of these three legendary Sannin, the same as Pervy Sage right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"How old is she?"

"Same age as Jiraiya."

' _She's ancient._ So what's she like anyway?"

"I've never met her myself but I've heard a lot about her. Well she's been described as kind of unpleasant, she's known throughout the land as a diehard gambler."

"Great, this should be a piece of cake if she's as famous as that."

"Oh she's famous alright, you might even call her legendary. She's known as the Legendary Sucker, but true as it may be she's not known for being easy to find."

"Why, what makes you say that?"

"From what I've heard she doesn't grow old gracefully, according to Jiraiya she'll be using a transformation to mask her appearance. She's actually in her 50's but she'll look more like she's in her 20's. Plus I've heard that she's started transforming on the fly, going from teens to young adult all to avoid debt collectors."

"That's awful, she sounds like a charmer."

"She's called the Legendary Sucker, what the hell do you think?"

"So do you actually have a plan for finding her?"

"Not really, the three of us have some work ahead of us but we'll come up with something."

"So you don't even have the slightest idea how long this is gonna take?"

"Well I know that we've got less than a month, but you don't have to worry because all of our time on the road will be devoted to you two."

"Me and Dosu?"

"Yep, we've gotta get you stronger so let's get to training and if you pull out that jumpsuit Guy gave you I'll feed it to Kurama. But I've gotta train you to gather information on Tsunade, otherwise it won't mean anything." he looked over a cliff to see a town "Here's where we'll do it."

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Naruto looked around the town "This is gonna be great, I've never seen anything like this before in my life."

Dosu looked around "It's definitely a lot more active and inviting than Sound."

"Downtime is important." Tatsu handed them some money "This festival is gonna go on for awhile, we'll hang around down here until it's over. I'm gonna go see if I can get some information and supplies, you guys take this much and do whatever."

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5 hours of binging on stands later…

Tatsu met up with Dosu and Naruto on the hill outside of town "Alright guys, let's get to it."

Naruto noticed the gigantic bag he was carrying "What's in there?"

"Training equipment." he tossed him a water balloon.

"What's this for?"

"Just think for a minute, you saw the jutsu I used on Gaara in the preliminaries right?"

"Yeah."

"How would you describe it? And not the Leaf Dragon God."

"Oh, you mean the one that sent him spinning like a pinwheel?"

' _I should've seen this coming, but maybe this'll help. Fortunately during that month of training I perfected the Rasengan so I don't need a Shadow Clone. I guess it just took some practice._ Spinning is one approach you could use, but let's try this." he held up a water balloon and began rotating the water.

' _He's spinning the water in the balloon without even moving his hand.'_

Tatsu then popped the water balloon "With the tree-climbing technique you learned to gather chakra and maintain it, with the water-walking technique you learned to release a steady amount of chakra. With this, you'll create a stream of chakra."

"Huh?"

"Don't strain yourself, I'll go into more detail on how it works once you've gotten the basics down. First, use the tree-climbing to gather the chakra in your hand and then release a steady stream using the water-walking, and finally you'll have to use the chakra to push and churn the water inside the balloon."

"Wait, I get it! So you're aiming to spin the water inside the balloon until it eventually pops."

"Exactly. Now then, you get a move on with it. Dosu, here." he handed Dosu a scroll.

"What is it?" asked Dosu.

"Just an Earth-style jutsu Jiraiya gave me, I don't have an Earth element so I thought you'd get some use out of it. Go practice it on the other hill, that way you and Naruto don't distract each other."

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3 hours later…

Naruto was losing patience "This is crazy, what do I have to do?!"

Tatsu finally came back "Alright, Dosu's got the jutsu down. How're you coming along?"

"Well I'm really close, I swear!"

"...You haven't gotten anywhere have you?"

"...Come on, how do I do it?"

"Like I said before, you won't know it's done until after you've done it. But if you want, I can show you how I figured it out when Kakashi showed me the technique. We're gonna need a water balloon and a cat."

"...What?"

Tatsu bit down on his thumb and slammed his hand down " **Summoning Jutsu!"**

Then a certain red dragon appeared "What's up Tatsu?"

"Hey Hiryu, I need you to find me a cat."

"...Rasengan training?"

"Yep."

"Alright, hold on a second." he disappeared in a puff of smoke, and after a few minutes he reappeared with a cat "Alright, fork over a balloon."

"Got it." Tatsu put the balloon down and watched as the cat started messing with it until it popped "Alright, you got it now?"

Naruto blinked and stared into space for a few minutes "...Yeah, I got it! I knew I'd have this down in less than 3 days!"

"Don't be so impatient, it took me almost 2 weeks to master it. _Just to make sure he doesn't try anything stupid._ Besides, this jutsu was created by the Fourth Hokage and it took him 3 years to perfect it. In terms of difficulty, this is an A-rank jutsu, the rank being second from the top. To learn this requires 3 different phases of training, and the water balloon is only the first."

"Wait, when did you learn this?"

"When you were trying to get off Kakashi's mask."

' _It took the 4th Hokage 3 years, and he was the best.'_

"And you're gonna master this jutsu in 3 days? Well you work on that, I'm gonna go dig up some information on Tsunade. Come back to the room when you've had enough, and be sure not to overdo it." and he left.

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Naruto came into the room and found Tatsu fast asleep "Come on Tatsu, get up."

"Shut up…" Tatsu grumbled "Too early…"

"Oh is that right? Well then…" Naruto performed the water balloon exercise and let it splash all over Tatsu's face.

"Okay, that was uncalled for."

"So that's the first phase of training, what's next?"

"Let me guess, you tried spinning it in all sorts of different directions within the balloon to make it burst."

"Exactly, and once I figured it out the rest of easy."

' _Well he still can't do it with only one hand, but then again I couldn't at first either._ Alright then, let's wake up Dosu and head out to work on the next step."

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Tatsu led Naruto out to the hill "Alright then, I think you're ready to move on to the second step of the training."

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered "Enough with the kid stuff, what's next?"

"More kid stuff." Tatsu held out a rubber ball and was quick to pop it "There's no water inside so it's a lot harder to pop."

Naruto tried performing the same technique on the rubber ball, to no avail ' _Dammit this is hard.'_

"The first step is rotation, the second is power. I'll let you figure it out, I'm gonna have a Shadow Clone go watch over Dosu's training while I myself go see if I can dig up some info on Tsunade."

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By nightfall, Naruto was lying on the ground with his hands twitching ' _Just like he said, this is way harder than the water balloon. My arms and hands are killing me, don't know how much more they can take.'_

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A few more days went by and Naruto was getting nowhere ' _How many days doing the same thing over and over? I've gotta keep going.'_

"Hey." then Tatsu came back and tossed him a rice ball "Here's a little something to build up your strength. How's your training going?"

"How the hell do you think?" Naruto angrily bit down on the rice ball "The closest I've gotten is a tiny leak."

"I saw, and I think I know something that could help. Give me your right hand."

Naruto did so.

Tatsu drew something on it.

"What is it?"

Tatsu drew the same symbol on his hand "Take a look."

"It's the same mark, I don't get it. How's this supposed to help?"

"You remember those times when Iruka yelled at us and the others for not being focused?"

"Yeah?"

"This is when you'll regret not paying attention."

"You mean the whole leaf on the forehead thing?"

"Yeah, that one. Try building up chakra and concentrating on that one point while you do it, and see if that helps." and he left.

Once he was gone, Naruto got back to it ' _Let's see, I've gotta concentrate to make this work. Concentrate only on one point… Looking back, maybe I should've listened to what Iruka-sensei was telling us. I'm so stupid. Well I guess there's no use crying over spilled milk.'_ he turned the mark into a leaf symbol ' _Alright here we go, I'm doing this no matter what. Concentrate… concentrate… concentrate… come on, almost there… this is it!'_ with a suddenly burst of strength, he began pouring his chakra into it, and with one massive burst, he finally managed to get it to pop, only to be sent skidding back.

Tatsu came back and examined his hand ' _I knew he'd do it, the chakra was so dense it burned his palm though. I thought as much.'_

"What do you know? It finally popped Tatsu."

"Good work, you finally mastered the second step."

"Come on then, let me hear the third one."

"That's gonna have to wait, I've finally got a solid lead on Tsunade's location. Let's go get Dosu and head out."

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In Tanzaku Town, Tsunade hit an unusual winning streak, leading her to believe something bad would happen.

This was proven right when she tried to leave the city, only to be met by Orochimaru and Kabuto.

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Tatsu led Dosu and Naruto on the road "Alright guys, we've gotta move if we wanna find her."

"Yeah, whatever." Naruto grumbled.

"What the hell's got you in such a bad mood?"

"What do you think? We're still in the middle of my training, you said there were three steps and I've only learned 2 of them now quit holding out on me."

"Calm down, you can work on the third one while we're walking. The first step you learned was rotation, the second was power." Tatsu held out his hand and formed a Rasengan "Let me guess, you're thinking it's like a small typhoon. In case you can't tell, there's a big difference between this and Sasuke's Chidori. The Chidori is more of a drilling technique, this technique is more for grinding. For example." he pushed it against a tree, grinding away a good portion of it "That's the completed version." he pushed an incomplete version further down, leaving a large spiral pattern on it "This is what you'd have right now. If you can keep that small typhoon the size of your palm then the energy won't be able to disperse. It'll keep spinning faster, and its power will become more and more compressed and its destructive power will reach its max. So there you have it."

' _Right, this'll be no sweat.'_ he held out a balloon in his hand and began generating chakra ' _Okay, this feels right. Now!'_ he began pushing chakra with both hands ' _Keep it going, keep it going, keep it going. Keep it going!'_ it eventually popped.

"No cutting corners on this one, get your power and rotation at 100% and then maintain them."

' _This is crazy, unless I can perfectly control my power it's impossible. I see now, this third step is on a whole other level.'_

"Like I said this is an A-rank technique that the 4th Hokage himself created. That's enough for now, we've gotta get moving. Besides, there's no guarantee Tsunade will stay in this town for much longer. It's not like she'll bump into some old acquaintance and start reminiscing over the good old days, that is unless Jiraiya showed up to try and seduce her."

Tatsu didn't know how wrong he was.

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Frail and sickly after being hit by the Reaper Death Seal, Orochimaru asked Tsunade to heal his soulless decayed arms and the pain they caused him.

Needless to say, she wasn't exactly compliant.

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Tatsu and the others stopped outside of the town "Alright guys, we've gotta move before she leaves or we may never find her."

Dosu studied him intently ' _Tatsu was willing to come here alone to find this woman, I suppose I should expect no less from a legendary Sannin.'_

' _I just hope she's still here.'_

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So they made their way to a gambling house, where Naruto quickly discovered his talent for gambling while trying to perfect the Rasengan ' _Dammit, I screwed it up again!'_

Tatsu breathed a sigh of relief ' _Thanks Naruto, that saves me 1,000.'_

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This basically repeated itself until Tatsu finally had it "Well this is just perfect, at this rate it'll be a year before we track her down." then he noticed Naruto was missing "Where's Naruto?"

"Getting a scratch-off card." Dosu told him.

"He's basically being suckered."

Naruto came back with one fat frog-wallet "Alright!"

"...Unbelievable. _He won from one ticker, the kid's got a knack for gambling. If only he was that sharp on jutsu. Anyway, I've gotta focus on tracking her down. The only question is where she could be? I mean she couldn't have gone far in such a short time period. For now, I think we should find some high ground. If I remember correctly, this town surrounds a castle so if we climb up to a top._ Hey guys, let's head over this way."

Dosu and Naruto shared a look, then shrugged "Okay."

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Though she had no intention of healing Orochimaru after hearing what he did to Sarutobi, Tsunade decided to consider the matter when he offered to revive her dead brother Nawaki and lover Dan.

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"Hey Tatsu." said Naruto "Where's this castle you're talking about?"

"Weren't you listening? It's-" Tatsu looked and saw it wasn't there "And it's not there. Okay, now I know something's wrong." he looked down and saw the castle in ruin.

"What caused this?" asked Dosu.

"I don't know." then he saw people running from something "Hey you there, what's going on? Tell me, what are you running from?"

"If you're smart then you'll run too, there's a monster up there!" the guy yelled.

"Just calm down, what kind of monster?"

"A huge snake that crushed the castle without even trying!" then he ran off.

"Come on guys, I'm gonna get a closer look at this monster."

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Orochimaru gave her a week to think about it, and then took his leave.

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By the time Tatsu's group showed up, Tsunade's group was nowhere in sight "Looks like we were too late."

"Did the snake do this too?" Naruto wondered.

"Let's go guys, we won't find her here."

"What's the plan from here?" asked Dosu.

"I've got no choice, I'm gonna have to track her down the old-fashioned way."

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Nightfall came.

"This is ridiculous." Naruto grumbled "How many places are you gonna drag us to? I'm starting to think this old lady doesn't even exist."

"I'm checking out any place that serves alcohol." Tatsu said dryly "For now, let's just stop here and get a bite to eat."

"Hey, what're you talking about? It's a tavern."

"And?"

"All three of us are underage!"

"I'm not making you guys do anything, just get us some snacks and stay out of the big boys' way."

"If we're just gonna eat then why don't we go somewhere real like a ramen shop?"

"Because taverns are some of the best places to pick up information." then he paused ' _I can sense a strong chakra presence, even when it's suppressed it's so clear.'_ he saw a blond at the other end of the tavern ' _I think I found my target._ Guys, wait here." cautiously, he made his way over to the booth "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be Lady Tsunade would you?"

"Maybe, what of it?" Tsunade slurred.

' _Drunk already, this is gonna be easy.'_ Tatsu pulled out some papers "I'm here on Hidden Leaf business, we need to talk." he looked back "Naruto, Dosu, it's her."

Naruto stared in awe ' _That woman's Tsunade? An old lady, right Tatsu.'_

"Naruto." Dosu called "Come on."

"Oh right." Naruto made his way over.

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10 minutes in, Dosu and Naruto were munching on some snacks while Tatsu and Tsunade were playing poker.

"It's like a reunion." Tsunade grumbled "All y'all faces and reminders coming back at the same time."

Tatsu poured some sake for her "You mean Orochimaru. So what happened?"

Tsunade shot a look at her assistant Shizune, then lied through her teeth "Nothing much, we said hello and that's about it."

Naruto was still skeptical ' _Is she really a great healer or did he make that part up too?'_

Tsunade placed a deck of cards on the table "Well then, why have you been looking for me boy?"

Tatsu picked his hand "I'll cut right to the chase then. Lady Tsunade, the village has chosen you as the Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade froze, while Naruto nearly choked.

"If you met with Orochimaru then you must already know about what happened to the Third Hokage."

"It was Orochimaru's doing right? I heard about it, in fact he told me himself."

Naruto couldn't stay silent any longer ' _Orochimaru's doing?_ Hold on, you're saying he's the one who killed the Old Man? Who is this Orochimaru guy?"

"He's one of the Sannin, like Tsunade here and Jiraiya."

"But then why? The Sannin are all from the Leaf Village right? Why'd he do it?"

"It's complicated."

"Who're these brats you've got with you?" asked Tsunade "Especially the loud blonde one."

"Mummy-boy here is Dosu Kinuta, one of Orochimaru's former lapdogs who turned on him and joined the Leaf. The loud one, as you put it, is Jiraiya's latest apprentice, Naruto Uzumaki."

Tsunade's eyes snapped towards ' _This kid is the Kyuubi's-?'_

"Okay wait I second, I haven't finished yet!" Naruto exploded "There's something about this I'm not getting! So this guy, you know he's the one who murdered the Hokage, what've you done about it? He's a Sannin, one of her and Pervy Sage, so why's he still walking around? And oh yeah, what's the deal with her being the Fifth Hokage?!"

"Naruto, sit down and shut up." Tatsu ordered.

"Absolutely not!"

"Sit. Down. Now."

That one actually intimidated him, so he did, albeit reluctantly.

Tatsu checked his hand ' _Looks like I've got a good one._ I'll say it once again, the Leaf has made its decision and chosen you as the Fifth Hokage. So what's your answer Lady Tsunade? Do you accept?"

Tsunade thought back to Orochimaru's offer and put down her cards "Impossible. I decline."

Tatsu was trying to keep himself composed "Funny, Jiraiya mentioned something about those being the exact same words you used to shoot him down the one and only time he ever asked you out. Alright, enough being mature, now it's time to do this my way. Look, my sensei is dying and you're the only person with the medical know-how to save him."

"Would somebody tell me what's going on?!" Naruto lost it "What the hell are we doing here? You said we were going to bring her back to the village to cure Kakashi-sensei and Hayate, and then you pull this stuff about making her Hokage, and then she goes and refuses it!"

"Naruto, shut up. She knows she can't refuse, there can be no one else. There was no one who contributed more to the Leaf's victory in the great wars. She combines unrivaled skills as a warrior with the ability to heal others, not to mention she's the granddaughter of the First Hokage, so in heritage and abilities she's the clear and only choice to be the Fifth Hokage. And once she accepts the offer, which she will, then she'll have to come back with us to the Leaf and cure both our senseis. The village elders carefully thought this out, it's not something an underage genin is expected to understand."

"Jiraiya must be slipping, this apprentice isn't at all like his last one." Tsunade commented "He's a fool with a big mouth, funny looking too."

"Well to be fair there are high expectations, he was the Fourth Hokage for crying out loud."

"Oh sure, but all that didn't save him from dying young. Throwing his life away all for the sake of the village, money's one thing but a life's another. To risk your life against all the odds, that's a sucker's bet."

' _Oh shit, she pushed the button.'_

Naruto unconsciously snapped his chopsticks ' _A sucker's bet?'_

"My grandfather and his successor, they were also willing to die to defend the village. Well they're both dead alright, and the village is no safer than it ever was."

"...And you were a student of the Third? You're nothing at all like I expected." Tatsu noted "I don't know what happened to make you like this, but you've got a lot of nerve to say things like that out loud. How drunk are you?"

"Don't forget, I'm not as young as I look."

"I know, I can see the wrinkles through the transformation. Tenseigan, remember?"

"Whatever, the years have taught me a great deal. Sarutobi-sensei too, he should've known better. What did he expect trying to be a hero at his age? Playing at Hokage, count me out. It's a fool's game."

"THAT DOES IT!" Naruto instantly pounced, only to be held back "Let me go- Let me at her- Stop it!"

"Dude!" Tatsu barked "People are staring, and that's saying something in a place like this."

Naruto bit down on Tatsu's hand and got up on the table "I'm not gonna let her sit here and make fun of the old man! I don't care if she is a lady, I'll knock that cynical sneer off her face!"

Tsunade put one leg on the table "Are you challenging me? You've got guts if nothing else, let's take this outside kid."

Tatsu let out a sigh "Dosu, have some first aid ready on standby. This is gonna get ugly."

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Tsunade was still cocky as ever "One of the legendary Sannin taking on a snotty-nosed genin? I oughta be ashamed of myself?"

"Who're you calling snotty?" Naruto snarled.

Tsunade held out a finger "You see this? One finger, it's all I'm gonna need to take you down. What're you waiting for kid?"

"Don't ever underestimate me!" Naruto charged in with a kunai.

Tsunade disarmed him and knocked off his headband, then flicked him in the forehead and sent him tumbling back.

"A flick to the forehead? I'll show her."

Then the kunai and his headband fell right in front of him.

' _Woah, she's good. I guess I can rule out using Crimson Wind or any of my fire jutsu?'_

"Hey kid, one question before you pass out. Tell me, what makes you so touchy about the Hokage?"

"It's because unlike you, that's my goal. Just watch, someday I'll be Hokage. Remember this, to be Hokage, that is my dream."

Tsunade froze.

' _She let her guard down, even with all of the jutsu I know there's no way I can take her head on. Now's the time to use that jutsu. Focus!'_ he started making the Rasengan in his hands.

' _What? Wait, that jutsu, it's-'_ right before the Rasengan made contact, Tsunade created a fissure in the ground, negating his attack and trapping him ' _Unbelievable, I never expected the Fourth Hokage's jutsu. Still, it's not like the real thing. Not coming from this little genin.'_ then she turned to Tatsu "Tell me something kid, who taught that little runt the Rasengan?"

"You're looking at him." Tatsu told him "Jiraiya told me to teach it to Naruto. What of it?"

"Jiraiya and the Fourth Hokage are the only ones who can use that jutsu."

"Actually Kakashi can use it too."

"Whatever, what's the point of teaching it to someone who can never master it you foolish brat? Giving him false hopes like that, filling his head with stupid ideas, making him think he could actually be Hokage someday."

"First of all, his head was full of stupid ideas long before I came into the picture. Second…" he paused, then formed a Rasengan in his left hand "You were saying? It took me a week to learn this jutsu from Kakashi, give him that same time limit and he'll have it down flat."

"What what you say kid, I might just hold you to it."

"Don't insult him!" Naruto barked "Give me 3 days and I'll have that jutsu down! And I will too, I said it and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, my ninja way."

"Well then, care to make a bet on it? I'll give you one week, if you can master that jutsu by then then I'll admit I'm wrong and that you're worthy of becoming Hokage. I'll even throw in my necklace."

"Lady Tsunade no, no you don't really mean that!" Shizune protested.

Naruto shrugged "You can keep it, I'm not really into jewelry."

Tatsu whacked him on the head "You idiot, that necklace belonged to Hashirama Senju the First Hokage himself. It's the only one like it in the world, that little thing is worth three gold mines and the mountains on top of them."

' _Ka-ching!_ Alright lady, you've got yourself a bet."

Tsunade nodded "Alright. However, if you don't master it in a week then you lose and admit I was right. And I get the money in froggy here. Let's go Shizune."

"Freeze blondie." Tatsu cut in "The bargaining isn't over yet. If he does, then you give him the necklace, you come back to the village to become Hokage, you heal my sensei, and see what you can do about Dosu back there." he held out his hand "Deal?"

"Deal." Tsunade shook it "Alright Shizune, let's go." and she walked off, with a nervous Shizune behind her.

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Later, Naruto heard a knock on his room's door "What the-? Who could that be at this time of night?"

It was Shizune "I know it's awfully late, I'm sorry but I must talk to you."

"Just make it fast, I wanna get a good night's sleep cause I'm gonna start training first thing in the morning."

"That's just it, before you get into this there's something you must know about the necklace. And also about Lady Tsunade."

"I couldn't care less about that crazy old bat."

"Don't say that, she's not the type of person you think she is. What right have you- You don't know anything about her!" then she composed herself "Please forgive me, I didn't mean to shout. Lady Tsunade wasn't always like that. She used to be so kind, dedicated to the village, but she's changed. But ever since that day."

"What day?"

"The day she lost all she had. Dreams, hopes, everything. She had nothing left after that, except the necklace and all of its memories. Please understand, that necklace is more precious than life for her. It's not simply a piece of jewelry to be gambled away on a silly bet."

"Look a bet's a bet, and it was her idea not mine."

"You'll be sorry if you think it's something you'll be able to wear like a trophy. This is not just any necklace. It won't accept anyone else wearing it, only on Lady Tsunade does it remain safe. When anyone else puts it on, they die."

Naruto let out a loud gulp.

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Tsunade sat on top of the Tanzaku Gate staring at her necklace, reminiscing over how she'd given it to both her brother and lover and how they both died ' _Nawaki… Dan…'_

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Shizune finished explaining the whole situation to Naruto "So you see Naruto? That was the day, it changed her. She's been in torment ever since."

"I see…" Naruto slowly made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out, I need to start training." and he left without another word.

Dosu only stared at the door with his one eye ' _Naruto…_ Shizune, was it?"

"Yes? Dosu right?" asked Shizune.

"Tell me, does Lady Tsunade have the ability to heal the scars of my face?" he removed his bandages.

Shizune examined it "Actually, I could do this for you but you'd need to keep the bandages on for another week."

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

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Next morning, Naruto stared at the spiral pattern in the tree in front of him ' _Dammit.'_

"Hey."

Naruto looked to see Tatsu walked up to him.

"Hey."

"Any luck mastering it?"

"What the hell do you think?"

"I've got a tip for you." he held out a scroll "Read it over a few times and burn it when you're done." then he left.

Naruto looked at the scroll several times ' _Son of a- Why didn't I think of that?!'_

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"Hey."

Tsunade looked to see Tatsu sitting next to her "What the hell do you want?"

"To talk. I have to say, I never expected you to hold onto that necklace after all those years of suffering, at least from what Jiraiya tells me. From what he says, I thought you might've gambled it away. Then again, it's all you have to remember them by."

"So you know?"

"He told me everything I need to know. Is he on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto, who else?"

"Not much?"

"I don't know, taking on a kid like him as an opponent. You know he'll never master that jutsu in a week, it's not much of a bet. What're you so glum over anyway?"

"Who's glum? I don't know what you're talking about kid."

"When are you meeting Orochimaru again?"

Tsunade froze.

"Shizune can't keep a secret, I don't know what sort of deal he might've offered you but you'd better think carefully before he accepted it. Remember the Hokage that have come before, and all they've accomplished for the Leaf. They're the only reason the village has survived and even prospered through troubled times. This was their dream, and they were all willing to risk anything and everything to achieve it, including their lives. Betray that dream, and you make all of their sacrifices meaningless. Why am I saying this? Could you of all people really do such a thing?" he shot her a look "If I thought you could, I would stop you here and now even if it killed me."

"It has nothing to do with me anymore."

"A person who feels nothing at the death of those close to him is no different than the filthiest of butchers, but I can tell that you're not like that. From what I heard, there was no one who cared more for the village or felt its pain more deeply-"

"Okay, that's enough with the lecture! That dumb kid, why did you have to bring him here and why did Jiraiya send you instead of coming himself?"

"Well Jiraiya said something about having faith that I could do it without him. As for why I brought him, from what I've heard he and Naruto are a lot alike."

"It's not just that. _They're more alike than you could ever know.'_

"He will master it you know, I have faith in him. I'd risk everything in that kid, and I know he'll deliver." and with that, he walked away.

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Dosu woke up to find Naruto's bed empty ' _He never came in, he must've been training all night.'_ he looked outside ' _I guess it's time for me deal my hand in this game. It's time I do something worthwhile.'_

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The week was almost up, it was the night of day 6, and Naruto had finally passed out from exhaustion.

Shizune observed the destruction from his training and rushed to his side "Naruto, are you alright? Naruto!"

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Tsunade opened her door and found Tatsu standing there "What do you want?"

"We need to talk." was all he said.

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Tatsu led Tsunade to a bar "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the week you gave Naruto ends tomorrow right?"

Tsunade downed her sake "Yeah."

"Dosu and I haven't seen him in days, I wonder where he is."

"Beats me."

"Don't forget what I said, if you do turn on the Leaf and accept Orochimaru's offer then I will do everything in my power to kill you."

"I'll be sure to remember that."


	11. Deadlock Showdown, Triumphant Return

Shizune looked over Tsunade watching Naruto sleep "How's he doing?"

"He's collapsed from exhaustion." Tsunade told her "And his right hand is severely burned from concentrated chakra. He's out of it, he won't wake up till the day after tomorrow at the earliest. That boy Tatsu was right about me, to think I've sunk so low I'd bet against a kid. What am I getting so torn up about? It's his problem not mine."

"And tomorrow? Please tell me you're not going tomorrow."

No response.

"Why don't you answer? Say something! Lady Tsunade, answer me! I need to know because if you tell me you're going…"

"What then?"

"I will try and stop you if even if it costs me my life."

"Shizune, have you forgotten who you're talking to?" she then knocked out Shizune with one blow to the gut and left the room.

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As they made their way to rendezvous with Tsunade, Orochimaru ordered Kabuto to kill Shizune to be on the safe side, and so Kabuto went off in another direction.

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"Hey, where the heck am I?"

Shizune finally too "Naruto, I-" then she freaked "Naruto, what time is it? What day is it today? What day? What time?"

"It's Monday morning. Why? What is it?"

"It's amazing, are you sure you're feeling alright? You were supposed to be out for 2 full days at least."

"Not a chance, no matter how beat up I get just give me a good night's sleep and I'm right back at the top of my game."

' _Of course, the Kyuubi.'_

"I know what you're thinking, and his name is Kurama. Besides, I've got a date to keep with that rotten old witch Tsunade! Today's the day I wipe that smirk off her face."

"So you've mastered the jutsu?"

"Tatsu gave me a little tip that he used to perfect it, I've just been pretending to struggle this past week to screw with her. Honestly, Tatsu's a pranking genius. If I had him with me when I was a prankster I'd be unstoppable!"

Shizune laugh, then winced ' _What am I doing? We're running out of time.'_ she quickly bolted to her feet "Stay here Naruto, you hear me? Stay here!" she opened the window, only for a kunai to whiz past her face "What in the world?"

"Hey." Tatsu stood there with Dosu's arm slung over his shoulder "So the procedure went well?"

"Um, yes."

"Good. The anesthesia hasn't worn off, so he's a little out of it."

"What're you talking about? I'm fine…" Dosu mumbled "Onward to Oz!"

"...See what I mean? Anyway, where's Tsunade."

Then Shizune got back on topic "She went to meet with Orochimaru."

"Spill the details on Tsunade and Orochimaru, what kind of deal are they making?"

"I never imagined she would go through with it, and that's why I didn't say anything about it before. But now… There's no time to lose. You must come with me quickly, I'll explain on the way."

"Let's move. Naruto, take Dosu." he shoved Dosu over Naruto's shoulder and rushed off in the lead.

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Orochimaru found Tsunade "Well, what's your answer?"

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Naruto stared at Shizune in horror "You can't be serious, the answer has to be no, at least it'd better be."

Tatsu frowned ' _Sorry Jiraiya, but things are worse than you thought. Could it be that the loss of her loved ones has clouded her judgment? You give me no choice Tsunade, if I have to kill you then I will and I'm the only out of the 4 of us who can.'_

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Making him swear to leave the Leaf alone, Tsunade prepared to heal Orochimaru's arms, but before she could do so she was stopped by Kabuto, who realized that she was planning to attack him, so he decided to force her as the battle began, taking it away from the castle ruins.

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By the time Tatsu's group showed up, he knew they were nowhere in sight "Naruto, Dosu, remember this sight. It's the effect caused by a maiden's wrath. Or simply put, Tsunade was pissed off by something."

Shizune looked down ' _So this must mean she refused him.'_

"Let's move before we get caught here and have to pay for property damage."

"But where is she now?" asked Dosu.

"Well I could sense her chakra, or I could just follow the path of destruction. Alright guys, let's move."

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Though Tsunade had far more battle experience, Kabuto was able to hold his own and even managed to land a few debilitating attacks.

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Tatsu sensed out the situation ' _Three large chakra signatures, there's Tsunade and Orochimaru so that last one must be Kabuto.'_

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"So you fear the sight of blood eh?" Kabuto charged in with a kunai "Let's put it to the test shall we?" he prepared to bring it down, only to be interrupted by a smokebomb.

Then Tatsu, Dosu and the others appeared "Hey, sorry we're late."

Then Naruto took a minute to recognize Kabuto "Hey, Kabuto aren't you?"

Kabuto smirked "Naruto."

"Yeah, we took the Chunin exams together. What're you doing here Kabuto?"

"Out of the way!" then Tsunade charged "Stay out of this, I can handle them!" she charged and forced Kabuto on the evasive "So you recovered quickly. No matter, you're still not at 100%! The game's up kid!" she watched Kabuto pull out a kunai "Too late for that!"

Blood spilled, and Kabuto smirked "Your jutsu has worn off, now I am at 100%."

Tsunade froze ' _Blood…'_

"I knew that I'd never be able to take on Tatsu as well as one of the legendary Sannin at the same time, but now at least I've got one down!" Kabuto slugged Tsunade in the face, knocking her back into Shizune.

Naruto blinked "I don't get it, what's going on? I'm confused, did I miss out on something? How come Kabuto and Grandma Tsunade are mixing it up?"

"I see you're as… slow as ever… Naruto… No wonder you're no match for Sasuke."

"Hey, low blow man!"

Tatsu smacked him on the head "Have you not been paying attention you idiot? Just look at his headband, he works for Orochimaru and always has."

Kabuto nodded "That's right, I'm a spy from the Village Hidden in the Sound."

Naruto froze "But… a spy? That's impossible. You don't really mean it? But you- you helped us get through the Chunin exams, you saved our lives."

"Only in order to gather information about all of you, that was my mission. Indeed, I learned one very important thing about you Naruto. You lack any ninja ability, you're not a bit like Sasuke or like Tatsu over there."

Naruto looked back to where Tsunade was trembling ' _Grandma Tsunade.'_

"Go on, glare at me all you want. You're still just a pint-sized genin that's in over his head. I admit that the demon inside of you had me worried for a time, but surrounded by two of the three legendary Sannin and Tatsu I see how insignificant you are. Next to them, you're a mere child sitting at the grownups' table. Stay out of it, or die."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto charged in blindly ' _His right hand, I think it's hurt. I can hit him with multiple attacks, then come at him from the right side where his defenses are weak!_ **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he summoned a barrage of clones that all shot out shuriken and formed several hand seals " **Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** the shuriken multiplied, and all of the clones charged.

Kabuto managed to dodge most of the shuriken, receiving a few shallow cuts across his body but nothing more, and managed to dispel the clones with ease before throwing the original away.

"Naruto!" Shizune caught him and spat out some needles.

' _Poison needles! My reflexes are still out, I can't dodge them! If I can just…'_ Kabuto moved his head down to block them.

' _He blocked them with his headband!'_

Kabuto retreated to Orochimaru's side and pulled out a food pill.

' _So that's it._ Plasma pill."

Naruto finished wiping his eyes of the blood Kabuto spilled "Plasma pill?"

"He's trying to replace the blood he's already lost, so he's a medical ninja like me."

"We can't have too much blood, can we Kabuto?" Orochimaru chided.

Kabuto smirked "Lord Orochimaru, isn't it time to take the bandage off your arm?"

Orochimaru bit off the bandages for one of his arms.

Tatsu stepped forward "Now we can finally get down to business. Shizune, you and Naruto take care of Kabuto while I take care of Orochimaru myself and Dosu will back me up. Lady Tsunade, use your healing jutsu and rest for now."

"What about me?" asked Naruto "What should I do?"

"Have some Shadow Clones guard Tsunade and the pig, the real you is Shizune's backup. Kabuto might be partially right when he says you're in over your head, but I know you can handle him, but only him. Orochimaru is one of the Sannin trained by the Third Hokage himself, whom he also killed. I'm gonna need to pull out all the stops to beat him. Besides, Kabuto could go toe-to-toe with Kakashi if he had to, but you're skilled and crafty enough to at least hold your own for awhile."

"Don't worry, not a problem."

"Remember, clones won't work here. With someone like him it wouldn't even distract him, you'd just waste your chakra. These two are a dangerous pair. So then Snake-Pedo, let's get this started." his eyes turned blue with golden irades as his Tenseigan flared into life, then he bit down on his thumb " **Summoning Jutsu!"** he slammed his hand into the ground.

" **Summoning Jutsu!"** Kabuto took some of Orochimaru's blood and slammed his head into the ground, summoning a three-headed snake.

Tatsu looked down at the ground and saw a note where his summon should've been "What the hell?" he read it "An IOU? _We're sorry, but all dragon summons are currently on a yearly retreat to the home of the hawks. Please try again later._ Are you kidding me?"

Orochimaru smirked "Well Tatsu, still playing the fool I see. Your father always was ridiculous as was your father, but this time you've outdone even him. Those dragon summons truly are a pest aren't they?"

' _Well how do you like that, I got screwed before the battle even started.'_

"You're as big a disgrace as your father was."

Naruto finally had it ' _That's it, I'm not gonna stand here and let that slimy son of a bitch insult Tatsu!'_

Orochimaru took a moment to recognize Naruto ' _That's the Kyuubi brat from the Chunin exam, I suppose I should've killed him when I had the opportunity. For the sake of the Akatsuki and their goals, I let the boy slip by. But the only ones ever capable of breaking a 5-pronged seal were the Third Hokage and we of the legendary Sannin.'_

"That may be, but Jiraiya is training the boy." Kabuto pointed out.

"You could be right, if he's learned to wield the power of the Kyuubi then it's not impossible. Then again, that doesn't appear to be the case."

"Well he never had any skill as a shinobi to begin with."

"Now then, let's begin!" Orochimaru had the snake charge in "I want you to leave the Kamikaze boy to me, the rest are yours to play with as you will."

"Now that is a shame, I'd been hoping to test my mettle against someone who could defeat one of the Sannin!"

"I merely underestimated him, that's all!"

"As you say lord Orochimaru." the snakes hit the ground and Kabuto charged forward and slugged Shizune in the face, sending both her and Shizune crashing to the ground.

Tatsu watched as Naruto got eaten by a snake "Naruto!"

"You're dealing with me, boy!" Orochimaru appeared behind him "I still owe you for that Rasengan in the Forest of Death."

"No problem. Dosu, do it!"

"Right! **Earth Style: Dark Swamp!"** Dosu formed several hand seals, and both snakes were drowning in mud ' _The bog is way too small, it's not deep enough to sink them. It's not a total loss though, these snakes aren't going anywhere in this state.'_

Orochimaru smirked "Most impressive Dosu, you've improved."

"And I still owe you for sending my team on a suicide mission!"

"I suppose the loyal dog wasn't so loyal."

"Well I just found a better master."

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Kabuto dodged several poison needles and hit Shizune with his Chakra Scalpel, sending her back.

" **Ninja Art: Poison Fog!"** Shizune unleashed a poisonous cloud.

' _One breath of this and I'm a dead man.'_ Kabuto was quick to hold his breath, then quickly disappear " **Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"** he grabbed Shizune from underground, still using his Chakra Scalpel.

"My leg tendons…"

"No way in hell I'm letting you eat me again!" Naruto broke free of the snake's mouth, letting it drown.

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"Get ready boy." Orochimaru charged in.

" **Lightning Style: Thunder Armor!"** Tatsu was covered in a layer of lightning chakra, frying Orochimaru's foot as he attempted a kick.

"Even if I am impaired, you haven't a chance of beating my true power. You might as well give up already."

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Tsunade was frozen ' _Blood…'_ she slapped Kabuto's hand away frantically.

Kabuto scowled "What a tragedy, I had only the utmost respect for you as a fellow medical ninja."

"Stay back! Get away from me!"

"Please get ahold of yourself Lady Tsunade, else the name of the Sannin of which Lord Orochimaru is counted weep for shame." he started kicking at her, despite her frantic screams.

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Orochimaru smirked "To think your potential is wasted by plodding along dutifully for the village with those brats in tow. Such talent wasted."

"You obvious don't understand it." Tatsu snarled "What it means to fight to protect something."

"So be it, there is another. With that brat over there, all I see is insipid mediocrity."

"Then you're a fool, he's got more potential than either me or Sasuke. Still though, where's the fun in teaching a kid who's already a genius to begin with?"

"How touching, you're drawn to him because he reminds you of your dearly departed brother is that it? That brat over there could never beat the Uchiha, born as he was into the shinobi art of Sharingan. Without a Sharingan, poor Naruto hasn't a chance of surpassing him. A shinobi's strength rests upon his ability to obtain and master all the jutsu of this world. The very reason we are called ninja is because of the many ninjutsu arts that we wield."

"You're wrong, that's not what makes a shinobi though I can't expect you to understand. A true ninja is one who endures, no matter what gets thrown at him."

"A difference of opinion I suppose."

"Let me explain something to you. There's only one thing that matters if you're a shinobi, and it's not the number of jutsu you know. All do you need is the resolve to never give up, and Naruto has that in spades." he flashed into his Tenseigan Chakra Mode "And I should follow his example. Dosu stay out of this, I'll take it from here."

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Naruto appeared and blocked Kabuto's fist with his headband "Back the hell up, you traitorous son of a mather f*cker." he forged his incomplete Rasengan.

Kabuto easily sidestepped the attack and severed the tendons in Naruto's leg ' _I don't know what jutsu you've learned, but you'll need to be more subtle than that if you want to beat me.'_

' _It's no use, I'm not gonna be able to hit a moving target.'_

"It looks like you fractured the thigh bone in your left leg during your little tussle with the serpent, if it were only the bone then you could still move but it's beyond that now. I've severed the lateral vastus muscle in your right leg as well."

' _What do I do? I need both my hands to do this, if he gets even one of my arms then it's over!'_

"What's the matter, are you frightened? Hope you don't feel like running away." he held up one of his Ninja Info Cards "Naruto, as I remember you were nothing but big talk during that first Chunin Exam. _Don't underestimate me, I don't run away. I don't care if I'm a genin the rest of my life, you guys aren't going to scare me off. I'll still be Hokage someday._ So where's all your big talk now? You're not a kid anymore, you don't want to shoot your mouth off like that. Admit when you're in over your head, sometimes it's better to run away."

Naruto shot a fierce glare.

"Come now, what's the matter? Why such a look? If I kill you then you can kiss your dreams goodbye. Little kids think life is so easy, that's why they're always going on and on about their dreams. That's why they never give up." he started kicking Naruto "They go chasing after some stupid dream, and they die."

Then Naruto caught Kabuto's foot "That's enough! I'm not gonna run away! I never go back on my word! That's my nindo- my ninja way!"

Kabuto fired up another Chakra Scalpel "You should've stayed out of this Naruto." with it he smacked Naruto to the ground.

Naruto stood once more.

Tsunade had been shaking and watching the battle this whole time, and finally reached the point where she had to ask "What're you doing?"

Naruto slowly got to his feet "Alright Grandma…"

Kabuto scowled "Still haven't had enough?"

"Get ready to pay up on our bet, that cursed necklace of yours is about to be mine. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** he formed a single clone ' _Like I practiced, just keep focused.'_

Tsunade stared in horror ' _Shadow Clones can't help him here._ Enough, Naruto you don't have to protect me! Stop already!"

Kabuto drew a kunai "I warned you not to be stubborn, now you die!" he charged "You've just thrown it all away, dreams don't come true when you're dead!"

"Just get out of the way Naruto! No, look out!"

"Don't you worry about me." Naruto stopped the kunai with his bare hand, then firmly gripped Kabuto's fist "Until I become Hokage I don't care what happens, I'm not gonna die! Okay, let's see you dodge me this time." the clone began building the chakra in his hand "Okay, let's see you dodge me this time!"

"He's channeling chakra again, like before." Kabuto noticed "No, this is different!"

Tsunade felt realization hit her like a ton of bricks "Now I see, he made up the clone to gather his chakra. Ingenious."

"Compress the chakra… keep it going… **Rasengan!"** Naruto slammed the Rasengan directly into Kabuto's gut, sending him tumbling back into a boulder.

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While clashing with Orochimaru, Tatsu observed Naruto's victory and smirked ' _I knew he'd do it, good job Naruto.'_

Orochimaru scowled ' _A child mastering a jutsu like that, it's unheard of.'_

"For the record, I mastered it before he did."

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Tsunade was just as awestruck ' _It's impossible, but he did it. He actually mastered the Rasengan in one week!'_

Kabuto had a huge wound grinded into his chest, but still smirked ' _Any second now…'_

Then Naruto suddenly coughed up blood, then blacked out and collapsed.

Tsunade rushed over to his side, then looked at Kabuto "And you, how can you be standing after that?"

Kabuto chuckled "I focused my chakra at the point of impact, before he'd even hit me I'd started healing myself. You see now why Lord Orochimaru values me so highly, not only for my skills and knowledge of jutsu but most of all for my recuperative powers. No matter how great the injury, I can repair and re-energize any damaged cells. _But there is a limit, and I'm almost out of chakra._ Naruto on the other hand doesn't have that gift, he looks finished." he slowly limped forward, then stopped ' _What?'_ his glasses cracked ' _No!'_ he collapsed ' _I never thought- Even with my healing powers, the damage was too great, and now I haven't enough chakra left.'_

Tsunade checked Naruto's heartbeat "His heart is failing." she opened his jacket and put her hands on his chest "The muscles surrounding his heart have been torn to shreds."

Dosu limped over "But how did he do it, and when?"

Tsunade froze ' _Wait, of course. That moment just before they separated, Kabuto must've struck his heart.'_ she placed 2 fingers on Naruto's chest ' _Stop shaking, get a grip.'_ she sliced open his t-shirt.

Kabuto smirked, despite his position "You're wasting your time, it's all over for him. With the last of my strength, I severed his heart's chakra network. I cut him off from getting any help from the Kyuubi, and he hasn't the power to save himself. I'm telling you, he's finished. Dead. All your skills are useless now-"

"Oh shut up! You'll be dead soon, I'll see to that." Tsunade let out a gasp ' _He's stopped breathing… no… no… no! I won't let it! Don't die! Don't die! Don't die! Don't die!'_

Then Naruto suddenly reached up and grabbed Tsunade's necklace "Hey… don't forget… our bet… I won… remember?" then he passed out.

"To be Hokage. That's still your dream Naruto, isn't it?" she held his hand in hers, healing chakra flowing into it ' _One more time. Just one more time, for the last time, I want those words to be true.'_ she placed the necklace around his neck.

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Orochimaru smirked "Poor boy, I really don't think he'll make it."

"You're forgetting Tsunade's healing powers." Tatsu pointed out "Don't worry about him, he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Perhaps so, but that's not what I meant."

"Forget Naruto for now, I'm the one you should be worrying about."

' _There's far more to this little genin than meets the eye. There's no telling what might happen if the Akatsuki get their hands on him, but if he were to die right now-'_ he dove down.

"No!" Tatsu dove after him.

Orochimaru extended his tongue and used it to grab Tatsu by the ankle.

"What the f*ck?"

Orochimaru used it to slam him into the ground, then charged towards Naruto and unleashed his Snake Sword.

' _He's coming for the boy.'_ Tsunade suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and took the blow for him, the sword straight to the chest, causing her to cough up blood.

Shocked, Orochimaru retracted his Snake Sword "Tsunade, you are the one person I wouldn't want to kill. Listen to me, if that brat is allowed to live then it will mean more trouble than you and your friends could ever imagine. Stay out of my way."

"No, you listen to me. If I do nothing else, I will protect this boy."

"And how do you plan to do that? Look at you, your body is shivering like a leaf in the wind. Besides, why would you, one of the Sannin, risk your life to save a lowly genin?"

"By saving him, I'm saving my home, the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"You really think you're protecting the village?"

"You see, this boy, this lowly little genin, has been chosen by fate to be Hokage someday."

"What nonsense, even if it is true what of it? Who cares about the Hokage? Only a fool would want that job."

Tsunade froze, and after moment of thinking of what everyone told her, and was quick to regain her resolve "From now on, I'm gambling everything too. I'm putting my life on the line."

"Well if you're really willing to throw your life away for the sake of one insignificant brat then I'm happy to accommodate you!" he slashed Tsunade across the chest with his Snake Sword, drawing blood.

"Now all that's left is Naruto himself." Orochimaru brought down his sword again, only to see Tsunade take the blow instead ' _She's torn to ribbons, and she can still move that quickly._ You really are determined aren't you? I'm impressed."

"Didn't I make it clear enough you fool? I meant what I said, I will die before I let you touch him!"

"You're half dead already!" Orochimaru kicked her to the ground "Such brave talk but look at you, you're still trembling all over. Poor thing, you just can't shake your fear of blood can you? You see how pointless it is, and all for what? For the sake of an obnoxious little boy you don't even know? For the sake of a worthless village you left behind years ago?"

Tsunade stopped trembling.

"What?"

Tsunade sent him flying with a kick.

"You stopped the trembling, how?"

"I finally remembered something. I've been chosen as the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village." a mark appeared on her head.

' _What? What's that mark?_ Whatever you call yourself, it makes no difference. You may have conquered your inner weakness, but what about the rest of you? You can hardly expect to defeat me in your condition."

Tsunade formed a hand seal " **Reserve Seal Release! Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration!"** all of her wounds began healing themselves.

' _What jutsu is this?_ It seems I'm not the only person who's been spending their time discovering new jutsu. This one's very impressive, how's it done?"

"My chakra, for years I've stored it up in a space behind my forehead saving it for such an occasion. With this chakra reservoir, my body's ability to create new cells is accelerated. The cells divide rapidly, spreading throughout my body and regenerating any damaged organs. It's like having the ability to reincarnate. You see you can slash away at me all you want, but I can't be killed." she rubbed some of her blood on her hand.

Kabuto froze ' _Oh no, that can only mean-_ Lord Orochimaru!"

Instantly, Orochimaru was by him.

Tatsu blitzed over to Tsunade ' _I'd better use my Tenseigan chakra to make this sure it's the real deal this time.'_ he bit down on his thumb " **Summoning Jutsu!"** he slammed his hand down, and summoned the dragon boss Ryu.

" **Summoning Jutsu!"** Tsunade summoned the slug boss Katsuyu.

" **Summoning Jutsu!"** using Orochimaru's blood, Kabuto summoned the snake boss Manda.

" **Manda and Orochimaru, Katsuyu and Tsunade."** Ryu noted " **We're only missing Bunta and Jiraiya, but I think we can make it work."**

Tatsu smirked "Fighting in the same battle as two of the legendary Sannin is a one in a lifetime chance. Your little grudge against Manda has been going on since the Second Great Ninja War, I think it's about time to end it. I'll finish what Jiraiya started and put Orochimaru out of his, Jiraiya's and Tsunade's misery once and for all."

Manda was already pissed over just being summoned " **Well Orochimaru, why have you dragged me here? You know I don't like being summoned. Maybe I should just eat you and be done with it."**

"No, please don't talk that way Lord Manda." Kabuto pleaded "You'll be well rewarded for your trouble, don't worry."

" **Who do you think you're talking to, you little bug? What would the likes of you have that I could possibly want?"**

That shut him up.

" **So Orochimaru, when this is over I'll expect 100 human sacrifices."**

' _If Manda finds out that his master can't use any of his jutsu, he's more than likely to betray us. This was a mistake, no matter how hopeless things looked he never should've summoned Manda. Not in his condition.'_

"Katsuyu, see to the boy." Tsunade instructed, referring to Naruto "Take him to Shizune quickly."

" **Yes my lady, at once."** Katsu formed a mini-clone of herself from her flesh, and it carried Naruto on its back down to where Shizune was " **Shizune, please look after the boy. The battle to come promises to be a most fearful one. You and this clone of myself must take the boy somewhere safe and see that no harm comes to him. This is the wish of your mistress."**

Shizune looked up ' _Lady Tsunade…'_

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" **I'm going to pop you like a balloon you damned lizard."** Manda snarled.

Ryu drew a tanto blade " **You're one to talk, but if you wanna try I've always wanted a snakeskin wallet."**

"Orochimaru, you are no longer fit to be one of them." Tatsu declared "Your evil is finally at an end."

Orochimaru smirked "One of them? What an insult."

"After this, there'll be one less Sannin in the world." Tsunade declared.

" **Acid Slime!"** Katsuyu made the first move towards Manda and unleashed her Acid Slime.

Manda circled around a large boulder and dodged the acid, then constricted himself around Katsuyu with his body " **I'll start with you!"** he made to devour her.

Then Ryu charged in with his tanto ' _ **I could just fly in and swoop down, but where's the fun in that?'**_

Manda bit down on the tanto.

"Now Katsuyu!" Tsunade barked.

" **Yes my lady."** Katsuyu split apart into thousands of mini clones and rebuilt herself outside of Manda's grip.

" **They're coming."** Ryu warned " **Alright Tatsu, get ready!"** he was quick to dodge his tanto blade that Manda threw at him, causing it to land near Tsunade and Katsuyu.

"Tsunade stay back, I've got this!" Tatsu went through several hand seals "Ryu, you know what to do!"

" **Right! Wind Style: Dragon Cyclone!"** Ryu breathed out a tornado.

" **Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!"** Tatsu breathed the red fire dragon onto Ryu's wind attack, enhancing his fire exponentially, engulfing Manda and his party in a massive explosion of flames.

When the flames cleared, it was revealed that Manda had shed his skin and dodged the flames at the last second.

"I should've figured, too easy." then he felt shaking "Crap. Ryu, up!"

" **Right!"** Ryu took to the air just in time.

Manda emerged, clearly pissed " **Come down here coward!"**

Tatsu smirked "Or you could just get a huge hole through the mouth. Now Lady Tsunade!"

"Right!" having carried Ryu's tanto into the air while Manda was distracted, Tsunade drove the tanto down through Manda's mouth "There, take that!"

Orochimaru scowled ' _Fighting one Sannin is hard enough, but with that boy too?'_ he extended his tongue and grabbed Tsunade by the neck with it "I've often wondered what it would be like to wring that pretty neck of yours."

' _No chakra… can't get loose…'_

' _You say you can't be killed by a blow in battle, but what if I keep squeezing the life out of you as quickly as you can regenerate it huh?'_

' _I haven't the strength… How long? How many more seconds can I keep this up?_ I can't give in! I have to give it everything I've got!" with a burst of strength, Tsunade broke free and swung Orochimaru towards her, and sent him crashing to the ground with a mighty fist to the face, then swung him back up "Come on, I'm just getting started!"

"I'll take it from here!" a voice called.

Tsunade looked up to see Tatsu holding a gigantic ball of chakra "Is that what I think it is?! _He wasn't bluffing, he really can make a Rasengan.'_

"This is it Orochimaru! This is for you insulting my father, for what happened to my sensei during the invasion, and this is for the Third Hokage! **GIANT RASENGAN!"** Tatsu charged down and slammed the Rasengan into Orochimaru's gut, sending him crashing down to the ground below. He landed beside Tsunade, panting heavily "There, got him."

"I had him!"

"No you didn't and don't try to bluff. You forget that I can sense chakra, and you're almost out of the stuff. Look, just wait until you're back at full strength and then we can go after him."

"So you suggest we just let him get away?!"

"For now yeah, we've gotta play this smart. Now come on, let's go get the others." he leapt back down to the ground, with Tsunade following reluctantly.

"Fine brat, I'll play along for now."

Manda let out a grunt " **He made me clumsy and careless, I'd eat you both right now but I won't be swallowing solid food for weeks thanks to this hole in my mouth. But if we meet again- well he'd better hope we don't."** and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

From within the smoke, Orochimaru stood, battered but still conscious "Tsunade… so you refuse to heal my arms do you? Very well then, I don't need you. There is one other way. I will destroy the Leaf Village, depend on it. I hope we'll all meet again very soon when I once more walk among you. Until then my dear old friend, when I return with the Elixir of Life I'll show you what it means to be truly immortal…" and with that, he disappeared into the ground.

"We'll meet again…" then Kabuto formed various hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tatsu winced as he powered down ' _Damn, cracked ribs and a broken foot. Then again, I'm lucky to get out of a fight with Orochimaru alive with just that. 4 minutes and 52 seconds, I was cutting it close.'_ he turned to Tsunade "You alright?"

Tsunade grunted "Don't worry about me, I'm one of the Sannin. I'm just fine. _I wish I could be sincere, the side-effects of my jutsu are kicking in. Already, my body is…'_ the mark on her forehead reappeared.

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Tatsu knelt down beside Naruto "I told you he could do it. You know Jiraiya's right, you can't recognize a fool's bet to save your life."

Tsunade looked down and remembered her bet with Naruto and his declaration of his dream to become Hokage ' _Nawaki… Dan…'_ then she felt pain "The jutsu's side-effects…" her transformation wore off.

"I see… _Oh lord I can't unsee that!'_

"It's alright, if I rest a bit then my younger form will be restored. I'll go into town, and once Naruto's recovered we can head back to the Leaf Village.."

"Lady Tsunade…"

"No more first names, you know what you've got to call me now."

"Right. Lady Fifth."

"For the record Tatsu, you fought one of the Sannin and defeated him." Dosu pointed out "This probably isn't the best time, but I think you've earned a rank higher than just chunin."

Tsunade nodded "That's true. Tatsu, what would you say if I were to promote you from chunin to Tokubetsu Jonin?"

Tatsu shrugged "I'd have to say thanks but no thanks. My brother rose through the ranks every chance he got and became and ANBU at age 14, but because of that the only true friend he made was Itachi and look how that turned out. I wanna take my time going through the ranks, making friends and building bonds. If I wanna be a jonin, I'll wait until I'm a little older and more experienced."

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Naruto was pissed when he got clued in "What?! The Fifth Hokage?! Unbelievable, I'm out of it for a few minutes and I wake up to find out she's the Hokage!"

"You've been out of it for 2 days." Tatsu pointed out "What're you so mad about anyway?"

"Come on, shouldn't the Hokage be kind and wise and everything like the old man used to be? And she's well mean and greedy, and with a nasty temper, and she's not all that smart. Nothing personal or anything, but it's a big job and I'm not sure if she's up to it. On top of that, she's a 50-year old lady who uses jutsu to look like a young woman. I just wonder if we really want a Hokage like that. You know, someone who's living a lie."

Then Tsunade had it and got up in his face "You wanna take this outside kid?"

Tatsu sighed ' _Great, this again._ Dosu, Shizune, be prepared to retrieve the body."

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They were outside again.

Tsunade smirked "I may not be anyone's idea of perfect but I am Hokage now, and even though I shouldn't dirty my hands on a little squirt like you one finger's all I'm gonna need."

"Not this time grandma, and stop calling me squirt!" Naruto yelled "Right now I'm just a kid, but I'll be Hokage myself one day! You asked for it!" he charged in with a fist.

Tsunade ducked and knocked off his headband, then prepared to flick him.

' _No, not the forehead again!'_

But instead she kissed him on the forehead and lightly tapped him "You'll grow up to be a fine man. _And a great Hokage too.'_

Naruto gave a huge shit-eating grin "You bet!"

"Alright people let's head out, the Leaf Village is a good walk away.

"Ichiraku's here I come!" Naruto took off in the lead.

"5 minutes before he realize he has no idea which way to go."

"I think he's got the right way." Tsunade just smiled and walked after him ' _Do you see him Nawaki, Dan? Be at peace my beloveds, your dream is still alive in him…'_

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After 2 days of travelling, the group returned to the village.

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Tsunade wasn't keen on all of the duties "I hate all of this, my body's sore and stiff. All I want is to sit down and relax with nice hot cup of tea."

"Not so fast." Tatsu appeared in front of her "I think there's something you're forgetting."

"And that would be?"

"Healing my dying sensei!"

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Yugao was holding Hayate's hand as he lay there unconscious ' _Hayate…'_

"Can I come in?"

Yugao looked to see Tsunade coming in "You're lady Tsunade…"

"Yugao." then Tatsu came in "Don't worry, she'll heal him. I promise."

Yugao bowed "Please, if you can heal him…"

"I'll see what I can do." Tsunade placed both her hands on Hayate's chest, then she suddenly stopped "Shizune, begin preparations for surgery. I'll take care of Kakashi while you do that."

Tatsu stared at her for a moment ' _Her chakra pattern is fluctuating, that's not a good sign.'_

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Tsunade sighed "Disgraceful, to be taken completely out of the game by two lowlife punks like that. I thought you were supposed to be the best."

Kakashi looked down "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Just don't let it happen again." then she turned to Tatsu "We need to talk." she quickly led him out of the room.

"Be real with me, will he pull through?" asked Tatsu quietly.

Tsunade let out a long sigh "Honestly, the chances aren't great. Most of his internal organs are failing along with a large number of the cells in his body, sheer willpower is the only thing keeping him alive right now. Even if he were to wake up, he'd be physically incapable of carrying out the duties of a shinobi."

"So he has no chance? Will he at least live?"

"The chances aren't great. No one but me could even attempt the operation, but even with my skill the risks would be enormous."

"What risks?"

"The chances of it being successful are 50/50 at best, and if it should he fail then he'll die, end of story."

Tatsu looked down, his hair covering his eyes "I see. Thanks anyway." and with that, he slowly made his way out of the hall.

"If I had known you'd say that, I would've gotten him out of there."

Tsunade looked to see Mizuki in the doorway "I understand. Believe me, I get no pleasure from this. But he needs to know the truth, and to know it now. A choice has to be made and he's the only one who can make it, putting it off won't make it any easier."

"Hayate always said that if anyone was going to pull the plug, he wanted it to be Tatsu. I can't even imagine how much pain he's feeling right now."

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Naruto had brought Sasuke and Lee into Limbo "So this is it."

"This is Limbo?" asked Lee incredulously.

"Exactly, Tatsu told me about it. No other people, no landscape, dilated time so it's the perfect place for training. Plus you can meet all these dead guys here so you can learn all sorts of techniques."

"So why did you bring us here?" asked Sasuke.

"Because there's something I have to tell both of you, and someone you both should meet. For the record, Tatsu knows about this." he took a deep breath "12 years ago, the Kyuubi attacked our village…"

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Tatsu stood by the bridge, gazing down at the river ' _Hayate-sensei has a 50-50 chance of surviving the operation at best, and if it fails then he'll die. But if he doesn't get it, he'll almost certainly die. Is it worth the risk?'_

"Tatsu, there you are."

Tatsu looked to see Ino coming up to him "Oh hey Ino, listen now's really not a good time."

"I heard Hayate-sensei is gonna have an operation."

"Yeah, he's got a 50-50 chance of pulling through and if it fails then he'll die."

"And lady Tsunade can't do anything?"

"She's the only one who can even attempt it, and the chances still aren't good."

Ino wrapped her arms around him "Just remember, if there's anything I can do to help just let me know." and she walked off.

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Tsunade looked around "Look at this place, not a single gambling hall anywhere."

"Well you don't have time for that anyway." Shizune pointed out "There's an awful lot of work waiting to be done."

"Nowhere to gamble or get a drink, what a boring little dump the Leaf Village is. It's no fun at all, just like the Third Hokage."

"Lady Tsunade!"

"I'm exhausted, I just wanna sit down and have a drink somewhere. Is that too much to ask?"

Shizune stopped suddenly "If that's what you want, if it's absolutely necessary then I'll find you a place where you can have a drink alright?"

"Really?"

"But only if you promise to get to work."

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Tsunade wasn't amused ' _Seriously?'_

Shizune couldn't hide her grin "Go ahead, you wanted a drink so go on and have a drink."

"Look Shizune, a cup of tea wasn't exactly what I meant."

"Oh I know what you meant alright, I think sometimes I know you better than you know yourself."

"What does that mean?"

"Part of you was relieved you couldn't get into the Hokage's rooms because it meant you wouldn't have to do any work right? That's why you left it to Naruto's Shadow Clone, hoping you'd get a day off."

"Maybe."

Shizune handed her a book "Anyway, here's the updated roster of the newest ninja. You should really go over it, there've been a lot of changes in personnel. You'll need to familiarize yourself with them. You have a lot of work to do."

"It's all such a bore."

"Look, they have sweet dumplings!"

"You know those things make me gag."

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Naruto finished explaining the situation to Sasuke and Lee "Hence why we're here."

"So you're the human jail cell of a gigantic dog?" asked Sasuke.

"Pretty much yeah."

" **HEY!"** a pissed off Kurama barked from behind Naruto " **I resent that!"**

"Sorry."

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Tsunade looked at Hinata's file "8 D-rank missions, 3 C-rank missions, exactly like Kurenai's own team. It's not hard to see what the Third Hokage was thinking." then she went onto Shikamaru's file "This squad is a mirror of their parents' team."

"I see." then Shizune got out Lee's file "Look how well-balanced this squad is, each member with his or her own specialty."

Tsunade stood "My neck's getting stiff, I need some fresh air." and she walked out.

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Naruto finished explaining to Sasuke and Lee about the Akatsuki "So that's about it."

Sasuke put a hand on Naruto's shoulder "Don't worry, we'll all be ready to face these Tailed Beast hunters or whatever, but don't forget that Itachi's mine."

Lee nodded "Same goes for me, but I want Kisame myself."

Naruto smiled "Thank you."

"By the way, where's Tatsu?" asked Sasuke.

Lee looked away "He's not taking it well."

"Taking what well?"

"Hayate-sensei. He needs a surgery, but the chances are 50-50 at best and if they fail then he won't survive. Tatsu isn't taking it well."

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Shizune found Tsunade actually studying the jutsu Kabuto used to create new cells and maybe apply that technique to Hayate to increase his odds of surviving the surgery.

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Tatsu sat on the roof of his apartment building, lost in his thoughts ' _Hayate-sensei…'_

"Hey."

Tatsu looked to see Mizuki climbing up the wall behind him "How'd you know I'd be up here?"

"I didn't, this is where I come to be alone. Naruto and Ino and the others are worried about you. I know you don't want them to be concerned like that."

"I don't, but… look Mizuki, you know how I feel about this. Hayate's the closest thing to a father I've ever had, he took care of my brother and me until I was 5 when we started sharing an apartment after he became a ninja. It was nice for awhile, until my brother was killed by Itachi. I was in a dark place after that, but Hayate-sensei was there for me and helped me become stronger. I probably wouldn't be a ninja without him. But now…" he gripped his fists tightly, tears streaming down his face "But now it's not the same, he was there for me but there's nothing I can do to be there for him! I'm useless right now! I don't know what I do… tell me Mizuki, what can I do to fix this?"

Mizuki sighed and put a hand on his shoulder ' _It must be painful, knowing the one you admire most is about to be ripped away from you and you're helpless._ Listen Tatsu, if you wish to be free of this suffering then you need to have some faith. If you lose him, you'll undergo pain far worse than what you're feeling right now. But if he pulls through, all of your pain will be gone. Tatsu, there will be times when you're helpless to stop things from happening no matter how much you wish you could. But even if you don't have any say in a matter, there are others who do. Hayate has too much to live for, not just you but Yugao too. Hayate's will is strong, I promise on my life that he'll pull through. And besides, if you can't trust your favorite academy teacher then who can you trust?"

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Morning came.

Shizune woke up to find that Tsunade had increased the chances of Hayate surviving the surgery up to 58%, and smiled "Lady Tsunade."

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With Jiraiya and the elders behind her, Tsunade stood before the entire village "From this day on, I shall protect the Hidden Leaf Village as the Fifth Hokage!"

Tatsu could only smile ' _Don't worry old man, the will of fire has been rekindled and now it's stronger than ever.'_

 **A/N:**

 **I know you guys are probably mad at me for cutting out Jiraiya and by extension the whole 3-Way Deadlock, but it's to show how formidable the power of the Tenseigan is even at Tatsu's current level.**

 **That little scene with Tatsu and Mizuki is to prove 2 things.**

 **First, to show Tatsu's emotional side.**

 **Second, to further emphasize Mizuki being a good guy.**


	12. Sasuke Captured, Retrieval Mission Begin

A week had passed since Tsunade's inauguration, and things were already getting busy again.

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Tatsu sat in Hayate's room, looking over his comatose form ' _Don't worry Hayate-sensei, I have faith that Lady Tsunade will help you pull through.'_

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Within the forest, 4 figures were progressing rapidly toward the Leaf Village, intent on escorting a very special guest.

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Tsunade looked at the genin in front of her "To be honest with you, I don't know what to do. With the final exam being suspended, it was the opinion of many that none of the students should pass this time around, and that includes you. However, I hear that the Third Hokage had nothing but the highest praise for your match, and when those rogue ninja infiltrated the village you were quick to take charge of the situation. It seems he was considering recommending you for chunin, and various jonin witnesses of the incident now agree. In fact, all those who observe, as well as your proctors, feel the same, so my opinion doesn't really matter in this case. From this day forth, I hope you will strive to achieve a level of excellence worthy of that headband. Congratulations, as of this moment you stand a chunin Rock Lee."

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"Alright!" Naruto cheered "Even a guy as weird-looking as you somehow seems a hell of a lot more respectable all of a sudden Bushy-Brow!"

Lee blushed and adjusted his new chunin vest "It's not that funny."

Tatsu held up his glass "Funny or not, let's make a toast to Lee for joining the ranks of the chunin! Naruto, Sasuke, you guys have some catching up to do."

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That night, after parting with Tatsu and the others, Sasuke was making his way home, lost in his thoughts ' _I plan to take a different path than my brother, but I just don't know to go about it. I don't have a chance of getting strong enough on my own, but I can't think of anyone else who's strong enough either? There is… no, he's dead. Then again, maybe I could track him down in Limbo.'_ then he stopped and slowly turned around "You can come out now."

Sure enough, the 4 figures, Sakon, Tayuya, Jirobo and Kidomaru, appeared "So you noticed us. Impressive, I can see why lord Orochimaru wants you."

' _Great, him again._ So what do you guys want?"

They didn't answer, they all blitzed around him and Kidomaru charged in and thrusted a fist forward.

Sasuke blocked the fist and leapt over, then kicked Sakon away as he attempted a kick from behind. Then he grabbed Jirobo and Kidomaru and flung both into Sakon and Tayuya "Whatever you guys want, the answer is no."

The dust settled to reveal 4 logs.

' _Substitution.'_ he looked back and saw them behind him "Before we go another round, I should warn you that I'm not holding back."

Sakon smirked "Stop your prattling you little weakling. Come on kid, I'm waiting. I wanna play Do-Re-Me on those ribs of yours until they crack!" he charged in.

Sasuke stopped Sakon's kick, then aimed a foot at Sakon's head. Or one of his heads.

Sakon blocked the kick with his forearm, then the oncoming fist, then the other foot.

"There we go." Sasuke aimed a fist.

"Let's have a little music, shall we? Do!"

Sasuke was sent back by something ' _What the-?'_

"Re!"

He got sent into a tree ' _Where's he attacking from?'_

"Your bones ring with a nice low tone, but why don't we switch to a sharper reverberation? Yeah…"

Kidomaru suddenly appeared and shot a spider web out of his mouth.

Sasuke attempted to block it, only for it to stick to his arms and hurl him right into Jirobo's body-slam.

"I think we'll go with the Mi-Fa-So combination now." Sakon thrusted a fist.

Sasuke dodged and kicked him into the air, then unleashed his Lion's Barrage "I've had enough of all of you."

Sakon suddenly punched him in the gut and held him upside down by the ankle "What does Lord Orochimaru even want with this kid? I don't even see what the big deal is. Kimimaro would've been much better. Oh well, you spend all of your life in a dump of a village like this place and you'll turn out to be mediocre at best, never realizing your strength."

' _Why? All of my attacks are solid hits, so why hasn't he taken any damage.'_

"If you just keep playing ninja with all of your friends here then you'll continue to rot on the vine."

Then Tayuya appeared beside him "You're acting like a fool, you should come with us. Lord Orochimaru offers you power, and he said that we could take you by force if we had to."

"This is turning out to be a real pain, so what's it gonna be?"

Sasuke pretended to ponder "Let me think. Oh I know, how about this. **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!"** he fired off a blast of lightning.

Sakon got some light wounds, but nothing more, and merely threw Sasuke into the wall "That was a bad move, now I wanna ring this punk's little neck."

Slowly, Sasuke got up "Come and try it." his Sharingan flared into life, but he quickly noticed something off ' _Weird, it's like it's so much more clear now.'_

Sakon was kind of surprised to see another tomoe appeared in each of Sasuke's eyes "Another tomoe. Interesting."

' _Another tomoe? That means that… my Sharingan has reached full maturity! Yes, suck on that one Itachi!'_ Sasuke quickly formed a hand seal "Now for round 2!" then he charged.

Sakon easily beat him back, black marks covering his body "Come on now, did you really think it'd be that easy did you?"

"What… What is that?"

"This? Oh this is just Lord Orochimaru's curse mark, it multiplies out power several times over. Now then, we're giving you one last chance. You can come willingly, or we can take you by force. What's it gonna be?"

' _I've only got one last option.'_ Sasuke kicked Sakon in the crotch, then leapt into the air and formed several hand seals ' _An SOS!_ **Fire Style: Fireball-"**

Then another figure stabbed him with a sword infused with lightning, causing him to scream in pain and blackout "I grew concerned when you were taking so long, so I came to see what was keeping you. I can't believe you had so much trouble with this one brat."

"He caught us off-guard, that's all." Sakon protested "Forget it Aoi, I don't have time to argue with you. Just grab him and go.

" **Slicing Sound Wave!"**

Aoi was quick to dodge a blast of air and found Zaku standing there "Oh great, one of Lord Orochimaru's pawns." he then slugged Zaku in the gut, knocking him out cold "Alright, let's move before anyone else hears the commotion."

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Morning came.

Dosu was out looking for Zaku ' _Come on, he can't be this hard to find. Just find the guy trying to hump a tree.'_ he found Zaku unconscious on a bench "Hey Zaku, get up."

"Wha-?" then Zaku bolted up "Crap! Dosu, they've got Sasuke!"

"Calm down, who's got Sasuke?"

"Snake-Pedo sent the Sound 4 and that Aoi guy with the sword."

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

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Tsunade was fast asleep at her desk when she heard a banging on her door "Come in."

Zaku rushed in, with Dosu right behind him "Sorry to barge in on your nap, but we've got problems."

"What is it?"

5 minutes of Zaku explaining later…

"What did you say? Are you sure of that?"

"Positive. I saw Sasuke fighting with 5 ninja, all working for Orochimaru. When he lost consciousness I decided to intervene, but I was knocked out."

' _I can't believe it, he's already making his move. So that's what that wretch is after, he's going for the Uchiha's powers._ Zaku, Dosu, there are two people I need to see."

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20 minutes later…

Tatsu and Shikamaru froze "What?"

"Late last night, Sasuke Uchiha was taken from the Hidden Leaf Village." Tsunade repeated slowly "And we're quite certain he's being taken to the Hidden Sound Village."

"How could this happen?"

"Simple, Orochimaru's finally making his move. We need to deal with this quickly, so I've decided it's for Shikamaru to carry out his first mission as a chunin."

"So all we've gotta do is bring Sasuke back?" Shikamaru guessed.

"Yes that's your mission, but it must be accomplished without delay and you may find it a more dangerous task than you think. You forget, Sasuke was taken by 5 of Orochimaru's men."

' _Damn, this is gonna be a real pain in the ass. Who's strong enough to take Sasuke down?_ Well if we're gonna be facing opposition then we're gonna need to request a team composed of jonin and chunin."

"I can't honor that request."

"And why not?"

"You already know the answer. As I'm sure you're aware, most of the jonin have been sent out on missions. Only a handful stay behind in case of attack."

"I'll take it from here." Tatsu cut in "I want Naruto, Lee, Dosu, Neji, Kiba, Choji and Ino."

"Ino's out on a mission with Tenten and Shino, and Dosu is currently having surgery so he won't be able to join you. All of the others are available, now go. You have 30 minutes to leave this village."

"Right. Come on Shika, let's move. And take these." he handed him two small objects.

"What are they?" asked Shikamaru.

"Earplugs, you'll find out why when we get there."

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"NO WAY!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs "You've gotta be kidding!"

Tatsu sighed ' _This is why I carry earplugs._ Look, Zaku saw it himself. Go get dressed and meet me at the gate in 15 minutes."

"So besides me, have you come up with any other top-notch guys to ask?"

"A few, Shikamaru's getting the rest. He's off getting Choji, Neji and Kiba. We've just gotta get Lee and we'll be good."

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Soon enough, the whole group met at the gate.

"It's time to go." said Tatsu "We've got 7 with us, so that works for now. Anyway, here's the deal. Sasuke Uchiha has been captured by 5 of Orochimaru's best ninja, we're to retrieve him before he reaches the border to the Land of Fire. Remember, this is a rescue operation so we'll be in a pursuit position."

Shikamaru stepped forward next "That means that the enemy already has an advantage over us. That said, I'm arranging us in a deployment formation in order to respond to any assault by the enemy. If any of you don't follow these exact orders, we're all gonna die."

They gulped.

"Okay, we'll go with a single-file strike formation. As we all know, the most important position is the spearhead. Kiba, you're up front. With all of the walks you and Akamaru go on, you're the most familiar with the Land of Fire's terrain, and with that sensitive nose of yours you'll be able to track Sasuke's scent while sniffing out any booby traps the enemy may've set. Moreover because we'll have two sets of eyes up front, we'll have you and Akamaru protecting our single-file line from an assault. Second and third in line will be Tatsu and yours truly, co-platoon leaders. From that position, we can direct everyone behind us using silent hand signals. And because we're so close to Kiba, we'll be able to react in any situation. In the middle, the fourth position is Naruto. The middle of the line is the perfect location for you becuase you're the most capable of executing quick moves either in front of you or behind you."

"You're the cornerstone, and you've got various jutsu." Tatsu took over for him "I'll take it from here on out Shika. Choji is number five, he lacks speed but he's got the greatest attack power of all of us. Kiba, Shika, Naruto and me will launch a surprise attack and then you'll swoop in and finish them off. You're the second wave of the assault. Lee is #6, he's got almost as much raw power as Choji and the speed to back it up. You're the third wave in case the second wave doesn't do the job. Neji's on the end as rear lookout, the most difficult position. You use your Byakugan to scan for weakness in our ranks. Everybody understand? Then take a quick look at this." he took out a scroll and drew a diagram "This shows exactly what part of the perimeter you're responsible for. Kiba watches the front, me and Shika have the wider forward view. Naruto has the left, Choji and Lee the right, and Neji uses his Byakugan to recover the rear area. Now then, let's check out the equipment you've got so we know what we're carrying into battle. Any questions?"

None.

"Good, now since no one has anything to say let me end it with this. Sasuke's one of my closest friends and he's a ninja of the Hidden Leaf, and a comrade that I'll put on my life for. That's the way we do things here."

"Let me just say this." Shikamaru cut in "I know I'm normally a pretty lazy guy, but not today. Now I'm responsible for your lives too."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see Shikamaru acting like a chunin." Kiba commented "Very impressive, you too Tatsu."

"Let's check our gear and go, now show me your weapons." Tatsu ordered.

They all did.

"Alright good, now let's move out."

"Wait."

Tatsu and the rest looked back to see Kin standing there "Zaku and Tsunade filled us in already. Sorry Kin, we can't take you on this mission. Zaku tried to help, but even he was taken out in one hit. These guys are no joke, and I'm sorry to be blunt but you're just not cut out for it."

"I know, but…" the dam finally burst, tears streaming down her face "Tatsu… Naruto… I heard you're both Sasuke's closest friends… just please… please bring Sasuke back… I'm so pathetic, I couldn't even try to bring him back. At this point, there are only two people who can stop him, only two who can save him. Tatsu, Naruto, it's all up to both of you."

Tatsu gave a kind smile and put a hand on her shoulder "You really care about Sasuke, don't you? I get it, I can see that deep down this is really painful for you despite having only known Sasuke for a few weeks. I know you're suffering, not just from this. But I give you my word, I will bring Sasuke even if it costs me my life. Come on guys, let's go." and he took off away from the gate, with the rest following.

' _Tatsu… thank you…'_

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"That little interruption cost us some time." Tatsu pointed out "Let's pick up the pace. Take formation!"

"Right!" and they took the formation and sped up.

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As they dragged an unconscious Sasuke with them, the Sound Four were confronted by Raidou and Genma, who happened to be nearby after a tiring mission.

However, they eventually defeated them thanks to their Curse Marks.

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Kiba heard Akamaru whimper "Akamaru?"

"What's up?" asked Tatsu.

"He smells blood, somewhere nearby."

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Shizune was quick to get Genma and Raidou emergency treatment, though they'd still have to get hospitalized.

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"Kiba, situation report." Tatsu ordered.

Kiba nodded "Here's what happened, the scent of two newcomers converged on Sasuke and 4 others, but 2 stayed behind while Sasuke's group moved on. So what now?"

"Just as I thought, Sasuke was taken by several." Shikamaru noted ' _Man this is turning out to be such a drag._ Since Akamaru smelled blood, my guess is that there was a battle between Sasuke's group and the two newcomers. If we go to the spot where they fought they might be able to gather some useful information. Of course we can't just rush in, it might be a trap so when we get closer we'll go into full reconnaissance mode and take it slowly."

"While we're doing that, Sasuke will be taken beyond the Land of Fire's borders and out of our hands." Tatsu pointed out "So what's it gonna be?"

"Then we follow Sasuke. Just one thing though."

"They've already been in a fight, so they'll be on their guard."

"Exactly, so unless they're complete idiots they're gonna have to know there's more ninja on their trail. There's a good chance we'll hit some booby traps or an ambush up ahead, so from this point on we proceed with caution. I want everybody to put your senses on full alert, if you catch a trace of anything suspicious then sound the alarm. We wanna find these guys before they find us."

"And no Naruto, no clobbering."

"Guys." said Kiba "The enemy's scent is here, all around us."

"Everyone stop!" they stopped "Look up in that tree."

"A paper bomb, I'm sure there's 5 more of them." Neji told them "A perimeter barrier, that's what it is."

"It's a type of trap jutsu. There's a delay after the perimeter is breached, giving the victim just enough time to get to the center of the area before the full effect. It's a tricky jutsu, I learned about it from my brother a few years ago."

"Great, now we've gotta waste time going around it." Kiba grumbled.

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Tsunade was in the middle of operating on Hayate, while Shizune was working on fixing the scars on Dosu's face.

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The group was slowly making their way, careful not to set off any traps.

"Man, this whole forest is crawling with booby traps." Kiba noted.

"Yeah but luckily they're easy to spot." Shikamaru pointed out "These guys are moving fast and getting sloppy."

"Hey Naruto, be sure to watch where you're going." Tatsu warned "There's tripwires everywhere."

"Tell me something I don't know." Naruto almost took a step.

"Stop!"

Naruto froze, just barely missing setting off two traps simultaneously.

It was actually Shikamaru controlling him "Just in time, got him with my Shadow Possession Jutsu."

Tatsu breathed a sigh "Good work Shika." he knelt down to check it out "So that's it, one wire catches the light and it's easy to see. The other is camouflaged, while you're busy avoiding one wire you end up tripping another. A trap within a trap, they're clever. All of the others were quick and dirty like they were moving fast, but not this one."

"They may have stopped to rest." Neji pointed out "Perhaps one of them is injured, or is this part of the trap." he was quick to activate his Byakugan "I see them."

"Alright, first we make a plan and get everything ready." Shikamaru told them "Then we nail these bastards."

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The Sound 4 and Aoi all sat, panting heavily.

Aoi let out a scoff "Pathetic, you all having to rest when we should be moving on."

"Well what the f*ck did you expect?" Tayuya barked "You think you can fight a level 2 battle without feeling the effects?"

"To feel like your whole body is completely useless, it's frustrating." Jirobo noted.

"Can't be helped if you're gonna take on 2 jonin level ninja." Kidomaru pointed out "If we held anything back then we'd have been dead."

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Shikamaru finished relaying his plan "That's it. Now Kiba, the timing of those smoke bombs is absolutely crucial. Got it?"

Kiba nodded "Got it."

"So split up, let's go."

They all split off into different directions, spiders and webs all around them.

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Kidomaru suddenly noticed something within his webs "Guys."

"Yeah." Sakon was quick to fire a kunai with a paper bomb near where Shikamaru and Neji were hiding in the bushes, igniting all of the nearby bombs at once in an explosion "Well well, thought I was flushing a snake out of the bushes but all I got were a couple of mice."

Shikamaru stood first "Wait a minute, calm down. We're here to negotiate, not to fight. Can't we talk this over like reasonable people?"

"Let's not forget your friends, shall we? Kidomaru pulled on his webs and dragged everyone else in.

Then Kiba threw a smoke bomb, engulfing the 5 of them.

"What good's that gonna do? Throw all the smoke bombs you want, I've still got you. These threads are so fine they're almost invisible, they're stronger than they look. You may've already encountered them in the forest."

Naruto and the others were on the ground "Dammit!"

"So that double trap of tripwires you set, that was actually a triple trap." Shikamaru guessed "I gotta admit that was clever, I guess that makes you the smart one of the group."

"You're about to be the dead one." then Kidomaru suddenly froze "My body- what's happening?"

"Man that's perfect!" Naruto blurted out "Kiba distracted him, you nailed him with your Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru nodded "Yeah that's right, you're not the only ones who can spring a trap. Thanks for making me look good in front of the squad, appreciate it."

"Very impressive." Sakon praised "I'd be even more impressed if I hadn't mastered that technique as well."

Shikamaru was hit by some shuriken from behind "What was that?"

" **Earth Style Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!"** Jirobo slammed both hands into the ground and trapped them all in a rock barrier.

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"Terrific." Shikamaru grumbled "A barrier of some kind and we're stuck in it."

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Jirobo stepped up to the barrier "Since I'm the one who caught them I get them, anyone else have a problem with that?"

Kidomaru scoffed "Go ahead but we're not waiting, when you're done with them catch up with us." and they left "Don't take all day."

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"Hey you out there, let us out right now!" Naruto yelled.

"It seems to be nothing more than a dirt wall." Neji noted.

"It's an Earth style jutsu." Tatsu noted "Watch your step guys, anything you do could trigger another trap. Stay back, I'm best suited for this kind of thing." he charged some chakra into his fist " **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder Fist!"** he punched the wall with lightning chakra, creating a hole, only for it to quickly heal itself.

"LET US OUT!" Naruto screamed.

"More than any ordinary Earth-Style jutsu or dirt wall." Neji quickly activated his Byakugan and noticed something "The wall is-"

"What?"

"Our chakra, it's absorbing it as if we were a sponge."

"Well you've gotta give them points for being thorough."

"No way, NO WAY THEY CAN DO THIS TO US!" Naruto screamed "WHOEVER YOU ARE LET US OUT RIGHT NOW!"

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Jirobi smirked as he absorbed their chakra ' _Thanks for the meal, I've almost had my fill.'_

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The group was feeling the effects fast.

Neji checked with his Byakugan "Something must be done, and quickly."

Shikamaru scowled ' _Man I was an idiot for moving in without knowing the extent of the enemy's powers, now we're trapped like rats.'_

"Guys, I'm gonna try something. **Wind Style: Skybound Wind Barrage!"** Tatsu launched several sharp and powerful blasts of wind throughout the dome, landing several deep slashes throughout the rock, only for them to heal "Damn, as soon as the cracks appear they heal themselves. Naruto and I are alright, but you guys have about 10 more minutes before you guys are tapped out."

"Stand back." then Shikamaru stepped forward "Hey out there, let me talk to your leader. I've got a deal to propose. What I'm thinking is that you let us out of this thing and in return we let you keep Sasuke."

' _My favorite part, when they start pleading for their life._ No deal, I've never let a captive go before." Jirobo told him "I'm not about to start now."

"Oh come on. Listen, just let me go and keep the others. All this fighting, I'm tired of it. It's really not my thing."

"So much for teamwork, so you're really the leader huh? What a fine example you're setting for the rest of the team. You see a man's true character when he's pushed to the edge of death. But you're hardly a man at all, certainly not one who's worthy of leading a team of ninja into battle. Sacrificing Sasuke and the rest of your squad, so that's how a leaf chunin acts? Did you really believe I might let you out? You deserve to die."

"That's enough, everybody just shut up!" Choji snarled, tired of hearing Naruto and Kiba fighting.

Tatsu watched as Shikamaru got into his thinking position ' _He's planning, so then leader what's your next move?'_ then he saw Choji eating a bag of chips ' _So that's it.'_

Shikamaru exited his position "Neji, I'm gonna need you to focus those eyes of yours on the wall directly behind you and directly behind Choji. Do you think you have enough chakra for that?"

Neji nodded "I think so."

Tatsu put a hand over Naruto's mouth "Shut up and think, don't you remember what he said at the gate?"

"Tatsu, keep your voice down." Shikamaru told him "Kiba, you up for trying to put another dent in the wall behind Choji?

"Sure." so Kiba launched a Tunneling Fang at the wall.

Neji observed it with his Byakugan and looked around ' _I see it, that's the spot.'_

"Okay now Neji, mark the spot with your kunai." Shikamaru told him "Choji, are you ready buddy?"

Choji smirked "Shikamaru, I was born ready."

"Good, now let's get this started."

Tatsu turned to Naruto "Short version, the farther away from the user the weaker the chakra holding the wall together."

"It's up to you Choji."

"Right. **Expansion Jutsu!"** Choji expanded his body "Alright then, here we go! **Human Boulder!"** he drove into the wall with all his raw power, breaking through the back wall of the barrier, causing it to crumble.

"Well Choji there's no other way of saying it, that was awesome."

Jirobo was sweating when he saw his barrier crumble "He managed to escape my barrier ninjutsu."

"He's by himself, I guess the others took Sasuke and went on ahead."

Neji checked with his Byakugan "You're correct, they're nowhere to be seen."

"Swell, and just when I thought we'd finally caught up to them."

Jirobo clapped mockingly "Not a bad bit of handiwork you guys, for a bunch of losers."

"Who're you calling losers?!" Naruto and Kiba lost it and charged "Now that we're out you're toast pal!"

"Stop!" Tatsu barked "We can't take him head on, it's too dangerous."

"We just tore through this clown's barrier, how tough can he be?"

"About this tough." Jirobo knocked back Kiba's Tunneling Fang and Naruto's Shadow Clones with ease "I'm gonna eat you guys for lunch!"

"Try it!"

Jirobo easily body-slammed Kiba and kneed Naruto in the gut "You wouldn't even do as an appetizer." he formed a hand seal " **Earth Style Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!"** he prepared the same jutsu.

" **Expansion Jutsu! Human Boulder!"** Choji was quick to get the others out of there.

Jirobo didn't know this though "Hardly worth the effort."

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The group sat and hid amongst the trees.

"We're running out of time." Shikamaru noted "There's no choice, we've gotta split up."

"He's right guys." Tatsu told them "With our chakra taken, even with the 7 of us against him he's not gonna be easy to take out, and with every second passing they take Sasuke closer to the border. Once he crosses it, there's nothing we can do. One has to stop this guy, the rest of us go after Sasuke."

"Tastu, you'll head the second team."

Then Jirobo suddenly unleashed an earth jutsu that knocked down several surrounding trees, revealing their hiding space "So there you are."

"Tatsu, you take Lee, Neji, Choji and Kiba and go after Sasuke. Naruto, you and I will handle this guy."

"What're you gonna do, play with my shadow again? Don't waste my time kid, you've already shown me your little parlor trick and once was enough."

"That's funny, I seem to remember someone around here getting taken in by that parlor trick."

Jirobo realized the shadow was creeping up behind him and slammed his hand in the ground.

Neji checked with his Byakugan, but found nothing "He's disappeared."

"He's behind us!" Tatsu barked.

Jirobo suddenly lifted a massive boulder out of the ground " **Earth Style: Sphere of Graves!"** he was quick to throw it.

Tatsu and the others quickly dodged it, and Tatsu sensed him out "Below us!"

Jirobo caught Shikamaru by the ankles and held him upside down "You're in charge of this ragtag bunch, am I right? If you've got an idiot for a leader then the whole team suffers, know what I mean? You don't wanna follow a guy like this, let me get rid of him for you!" he quickly flung Shikamaru towards a tree.

" **Expansion Jutsu! Human Boulder!"** Choji rolled over and let Shikamaru rebound off of his stomach "Gotcha!"

"I try to help you guys out and look what you do. I don't know which is more pathetic, the fool or those who follow him. Tell you what, you don't wanna keep working under this glum-faced little shadow lover. I'll just kill you now and put you out of your misery."

"It's time for you to shut your trap!" Naruto snarled "Or I'll come shut it for you!"

"Naruto!" Choji barked suddenly "I'll handle him, this guy is mine."

Shikamaru's head snapped towards him, along with everyone else "But Choji…"

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Naruto barked "This isn't the kind of guy you can take on your own!"

"He's mine, I said!" Choji repeated firmly.

"Yeah but Choji…"

"Enough." Choji held out a bag "Shikamaru, take these food pills for everyone."

"Choji…" Shikamaru murmured "You're not gonna…"

"Yep. Don't worry, I've got my secret weapon with me."

"Yeah but Choji, this is…"

Choji stepped forward.

"Oh this is priceless, you think I'm gonna wait forever?!" Jirobo charged "Enough of this, I'm taking you all out right here!"

Choji appeared in between Jirobo and the others "Get going, hurry!" he pulled out a set of pills.

' _Pills? Those aren't food pills, so what are they?'_

' _First, the Green Spinach Pill.'_ Choji ate the green one.

"Get out of my way you jo-"

Choji cut him off with a fist to the gut.

' _Impossible… He stopped me?!'_

"Shikamaru, take everybody and get out of here!"

Shikamaru stared at him "Choji…"

"What're the 5 of us draw together for?! If we lose Sasuke then we'll be just what this guy says we are, a stupid idiot of a leader and his band of rejects!"

"...You better catch up with us Choji, you hear me?"

"Yeah! Now get out of here, go already!"

"Alright, let's move you guys!" and they all took off into the trees ' _Choji…'_

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As the group went on their way, Shikamaru handed Naruto a food pill "A parting gift from Choji, eat up."

"Got it." Naruto popped one in ' _We owe you one Choji._ Kiba." he threw it.

"Shikamaru." said Tatsu "That pill we saw Choji take before we left, it's some kind of trump card isn't it? Do you really think we can win?"

"Don't worry, Choji's got a plan up his sleeve." Shikamaru told him.

"You really have faith in him don't you?"

"As much faith as you have in Naruto. Anyway, Choji brought along with him the Akimichi Clan Secret Triple Threat, pills that grant a person explosive power. There are three of them, green, yellow and red. The amount of energy that each of those pills contains is absolutely massive, but any pill that works that way always comes with side effects."

"Like me using the Eight Gates?" asked Lee.

"Probably."

Kiba heard Akamaru whimpering "Yeah I know, I was just thinking the same thing myself."

"What is it?" asked Tatsu "What's going on?"

"You know how Akamaru can tell an enemy's strength by his scent right? He's pretty worried that Choji might not be able to take on that gargantuan alone with just those pills to help him."

"Well to be fair we don't know enough about those pills. Besides, that's usually a case in battle."

"Tatsu's right." Shikamaru agreed "That's just how a battle is. We knew from the beginning this mission wouldn't be child's play, it's life or death."

"Yeah, but Shikamaru…" Naruto murmured.

"I've already anticipated the worst case scenario where each of us ends up fighting alone, and at this point if we're not ready to lay down our lives for this then we might not be able to reach Sasuke in time." he paused, then smile "Choji is good enough to hold his own, but he doesn't have a lot of confidence. He thinks that out of all of us he's the weakest link, but everyone's always thought that way about Choji. But me? Well I've always known the real truth. More than me or Neji or any of us here, Choji's got strength. I believe in him, I always have."

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Having eaten the green pill, Choji's increased strength seemed to overpower Jirobo, forcing him to use the first level of his Curse Mark.

With Jirobo now having the upper hand, Choji took the second pill of the Secret Triple Threat, the yellow pill.

Thanks to that, Choji used his Expansion Jutsu to dramatically increase his size and fall upon Jirobo.

To escape the crushing effects of Choji's increased bulk, Jirobo activated the second level of his Curse Mark, allowing him to lift Choji and toss him aside.

Outmatched now, Choji considered taking the last pill, which had a very high chance of death. With thoughts of Shikamaru driving him on, allowing him to easily overpower Jirobo, then kill him.

With the battle won, Choji began to follow after the others, though he didn't make it very far before he lost consciousness.

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Shikamaru marked a tree with a kunai "It's for Choji, he promised us he'd catch up."

"You think so?" asked Lee.

"Trust me he will beat that guy, and after he does he'll come and find us."

Tatsu nodded "No doubt about it, but let's make sure he doesn't have to worry by catching up to them and bringing Sasuke back before Choji even catches up." and they continued on their way.

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Sakon felt something wasn't right "Jirobo's late, he should've gotten here by now."

"Well you know how enormous his appetite can be." Tayuya pointed out "He's probably squeezing out every last bit of chakra."

Kidomaru rolled his eyes and looked at the unconscious Sasuke slung over his shoulder "Man, I wish I could be in his shoes right now. Then again, at least Aoi didn't wanna have to hang around us."

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Shikamaru suddenly tensed and saw a butterfly pass by ' _Choji…'_

"What is it?" asked Tatsu.

"It's nothing…"

"If you say so…"

Kiba heard Akamaru bark "We're getting close."

"He's right, I can sense them."

Neji used his Byakugan to check their location "That's strange, it's been quite a long time and we still haven't encountered a single trap. What's your assessment Shikamaru, Tatsu?"

"Looks to me like they got cocky and underestimated us. They probably think we're all dead and the fatass back there is the only one following them. After all, why would they need to set a trap for their own teammate."

"It seems you're right, and it's insulting to be underestimated like this. But still, this could be our chance."

Shikamaru nodded "I hear you, now we can take them by surprise."

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"Jirobo's pretty late isn't he?" Sakon noticed.

"He was, but he just arrived." Kidomaru looked back to see _Jirobo_ appearing behind him.

"Well it's about time, you were gone awhile. What took so long?"

"Sorry, it took longer than I thought to eat that loser's chakra." _Jirobo_ told them.

"Listen fatass, don't slow us down so you can eat more." Tayuya barked "You see that Uchiha kid? You're the one who's supposed to be carrying it, so do your job you slob."

"Alright."

"Well well Jirobo, aren't you awfully easy-going today." Kidomaru noted.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well it's just that I'm not going to be handing over this kid to you, because you're not the real Jirobo!" Kidomaru threw Sasuke over to Tayuya.

 _Jirobo_ drew a kunai and charged.

"Let me take down this one fellas. Sakon, Tayuya, go on and I'll catch up."

They had no arguments and left.

Kidomaru quickly stopped the kunai "The real Jirobo was always scolding Tayuya about her rather coarse language."

 _Jirobo_ disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing Shikamaru in his place "Ya got me."

" **Ninja Art: Spider Web Net!"** Kidomaru hit Shikamaru with a web from his mouth and stuck him to a tree.

Then a barrage of Naruto and Tatsu's Shadow Clones appeared "Surprised to see us you son of a bitch?!"

" **Ninja Art: Spiral Spider Web!"** Kidomaru leapt down and created a massive spider web that trapped all of the clones.

' _Kiba, Akamaru, now's your chance. When he's in mid-air like that, there's no way he can fight back.'_

" **Fang Over Fang!"** Kiba and Akamaru charged in.

Kidomaru managed to dodge the attack "Is that it?"

"I won't let you get away!"

"You stole my line punk, you should look down at your feet."

Kiba looked down to see his feet webbed "You coward! Do you really think you can stop us that easily?"

"Why don't you shut up?"

' _My turn!'_ that was when Neji charged in.

Kidomaru was quick to dodge it and unleashed another Spiral Spider Web, trapping him "How would you like to see the inside of an air-tight cocoon?" Kidomaru was quick to completely trap him.

"No!" Naruto tried to break the web with a kunai, to no avail "Come on, what the hell's this thread made out of? I can't cut it!"

"It's useless, my spider silk is so powerful nothing can break it. 2 elephants couldn't pull it apart. _Those two are able to use Shadow Clones.'_ he started chewing and making a web, then pulled out a golden-colored material " **Ninja Art: Sticky Spider Thread!"**

' _That's a different color from the thread he used before.'_ Tatsu noted ' _What's he planning?'_

Kidomaru formed it into various weapons.

' _So it solidifies and takes on the form of a weapon.'_

"Since you'll be my first victim, let's make this entertaining. I'm going to play a little game to find out which ones are the real ones. Contestants 1 and 2, let's try you at the end!" he threw a weapon, only for them to disappear "Oh well, looks like he was a clone. No problem, let's try another." the same result "Whichever you are, you're both pretty lucky. Next let's try 4 at a time, the odds will be doubled in my favor!" he took out 4 at once and formed more weapons "You're both very lucky guys, but this time I've got a 50-50 shot for both of you. Here they come!" he threw 2 more, causing 2 more clones to disappear "Well somehow you both made it all the way to the bitter end. Well weaklings it was fun playing with you two, but unfortunately the game's over for the both of you now. Now die!" he threw the last ones "2 down and 4 to go."

But they disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"Wait, where did they-" he suddenly blocked a blow from behind from Naruto, then another one from Tatsu ' _Of course, they let their Shadow Clones get caught while the real ones hid and waited for a chance to catch me off guard. For wimps like that to come up with such deception in the heat of battle, they're not so dumb after all. However…'_

Naruto's wrist was bound by the threads.

"Looks like you're at the end of your rope!" Kidomaru pulled Naruto in, fully prepared to finish it.

However, Neji appeared and cut the web "Naruto!" he carried Naruto to safety, then quickly cut Tatsu free.

"How did he-?!"

"Thanks for stalling him for me you two."

"I trapped you, how did you get free?"

"Your spider web had a chakra base, and chakra-built substances don't stand a chance against my Gentle Fist attack. This guy's jutsu, I think I'm the only one who can handle it. Go on you guys, I'll take care of him."

Kiba took note of Akamaru hiding in his jacket "Well it looks like this guy's stronger than the big guy we fought before, much stronger."

"We're going to have to go one-on-one to have any chance of success, isn't that what you said?"

Shikamaru nodded "Yeah, that's what we agreed."

"And besides, if we all stay here then we won't be able to catch up with Sasuke."

"And what about Choji? He hasn't caught up yet." Lee pointed out.

"We all embarked on this mission to find Sasuke and rescue him and bring him back home to the village, but that's not the only reason that we've come. We are on this mission to protect a fellow shinobi, to defend the bond of the Hidden Leaf Village. At the Third Hokage's funeral when Iruka spoke, do you remember his words?"

Naruto thought back to what Iruka told him during the funeral "Yeah…"

"Listen, Sasuke's out there right now being taken toward Orochimaru. We can't allow such evil to take someone from our village, that is not our way. What's more Naruto, sometimes your eyes are even better than mine. Wherever he is, Sasuke has been taken against his will by the darkness. Now get going, I'll be right behind you."

"Well alright, now let's do this thing." Shikamaru told them.

"And Neji, when you catch up with us be sure to bring Choji with you." Tatsu told him.

Neji nodded "Of course I will."

"Come on guys, let's go." and they took off.

Naruto stared back ' _Neji, I'd better see you again…'_

"Naruto." Lee snapped him out of his thoughts "Don't worry. He'll win, I'm sure of it."

 **A/N:**

 **For the record, Lee went on the mission this time since he didn't get crippled by Gaara.**

 **I had to cut out some dialogue because there was WAAAAAY too much dialogue about the enemy's abilities and who got left behind.**

 **Yes, Aoi is a filler villain but I have a plan to make it work. I do plan to have the Kiba and Akamaru vs Sakon and Ukon fight be same as canon, the same with the Shikamaru vs Tayuya fight. My original plan was to have one of them fight Kimimaro, and the other two chase Aoi and Sasuke to the Valley of End, but that was just the rough draft. You'll find out more about it later on.**


	13. Enter the Sound 6, Reinforcements Arrive

Kidomaru was quickly able to figure out how Neji could cut his webs, and although he soon believed himself to have the advantage Neji readied his 8 Trigrams 64 Palms to prove him wrong.

Kidomaru managed to shield himself from Neji's attack and fled into the trees.

Then he decided to attack from a distance and activated the first level of his Curse Mark, then sent out multiple spider attacks.

Neji was able to deflect them all, though Kidomaru did notice a delayed reaction with some of the blocks.

Kidomaru was able to theorize that Neji's defense had a blind spot, and attacked him further from that point.

His theory was proven right, and Neji was unable to block.

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"Well guys, looks we're down to 5." Lee noted.

"You don't have to worry about that, Choji and Neji will catch up in no time." Naruto assured them "Choji's got his trump card with him, and don't forget that I fought Neji in the Chunin Exams so I know."

"You know what?" asked Kiba.

"That guy is a true genius."

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After advancing to the second level of his Curse Mark and creating a bow and arrow from his webs, Kidomaru began taking shots at Neji's blind spot.

Neji was able to block the attack just enough to keep them from hitting any vital areas, though he was still left heavily damaged with each of Kidomaru's attacks.

Ready to finish the battle, Kidomaru prepared to use his most deadly arrow and fired it.

Neji took the arrow full force, though he already knew of his blind spot and moved at the last second to keep the arrow from piercing his heart.

With Kidomaru's arrow connected to him by a web, Neji sent his own chakra into the web, paralyzing Kidomaru with it.

As Kidomaru lay helpless, Neji approached him and managed to deal a finishing blow, ending the battle and securing the win.

With his injuries too severe, Neji collapsed, leaving the retrieval of Sasuke up to the rest of the group.

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It was getting close to sundown at this point, and Sakon and Tayuya were trying to pick up the pace.

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Kiba took a whiff "Tatsu, you sense it?"

Tatsu nodded "We're close, and there's only two of them left against the 5 of us." he received an angry yip "Sorry Akamaru, 6 of us."

"I like those odds." Shikamaru commented "If we play this right then the next time we meet them we'll be able to wrap this up once and for all. Though something does worry me."

"The fact that Zaku said there were 5 and we've only encountered 4 so far. And he mentioned something about a lightning sword, if it's who I think it is then we've probably got our work cut out for us."

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Sakon and Tayuya were concerned that the sun was going down and that they might be too late in bringing Sasuke to Orochimaru.

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Kiba sniffed it out "Hurry, they're just up ahead."

"No, we're close enough." Shikamaru decided "We'll stay right on their tale but we're gonna maintain this distance. We'll keep them in our sights, but we won't attack until sunrise."

"That's crazy!" Naruto barked "We can't afford to wait until then, what about Sasuke?"

Lee nodded "He's right, and if we're gonna hit them with a surprise attack then it'll be an even bigger surprise if we hit them in the dark."

"The darkness might give us an edge at the first moment of contact, but after that it'll only put us at a disadvantage." explained Shikamaru "Don't forget what we're really after, we only want to keep them occupied just long enough to get Sasuke out of there. That'll take precision and split-second timing. We need to be able to see clearly, we can't risk going in blind wandering around in the dark. Once they knew what we were up to all they'd have to do was fall back and guard Sasuke. They could take up a defensive position and wait for us to come to them. The advantage would be all on their side. Of course things would be a lot different if we had Neji and his Byakugan."

"He's not the only one you know." Tatsu pointed out "Don't forget that I can sense chakra and we've still got Akamaru and Kiba's senses of smell."

"I didn't forget about that, but even so they've got the geography in their favor in this part of the woods. What's more, what's the sense of attacking now-"

"When you can't use any of your shadow jutsu."

"Exactly. The moonlight's too dim and there's too many clouds passing over for my Shadow Possession to be effective. It's a drag, but to be completely safe we've gotta wait until daylight."

"Fair enough, I just hope you're right."

"You and me both."

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With his body failing and still useless after the failed invasion, Orochimaru was anxiously waiting for Sasuke to switch to his body.

Despite waiting for as long as he could, hoping the Sound Four would return in time, his body brought him too much pain and he was forced to switch bodies with one of his prisoners.

As this happened, Kabuto sent a ninja by the name of Kimimaro out to retrieve Sasuke.

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Tayuya suddenly felt something "Hold on a second."

Sakon stopped "Are we almost there?"

"No, we still have a ways to go, but take a look."

Sakon looked back ' _Crap.'_

"And of course now that we need them there's no sign of Jirobo or Kidomaru."

Tatsu smirked "Sorry to disappoint, just us."

"Who needs those two? I can handle these guys myself!" Sakon charged in.

Kiba, Lee and Shikamaru charged into buy time.

" **Multiple Fists Barrage!"** Sakon launched a quick barrage of punches, sending them back.

"Got it!" Tatsu held up a Rasengan.

' _Chakra in the palm of his hand?'_

" **Rasengan!"** Tatsu prepared to thrust it forward.

Sakon grabbed Tatsu's hand, stopping the attack "How are you supposed to hit me with it if you can't throw it?"

' _Come on Kiba, do it now!'_

" **Tunneling Fang!"** Kiba charged in and tore through Tatsu, revealed to be a Shadow Clone.

' _Damn, a Shadow Clone!'_ Sakon was quick to dodge, but realized that he wasn't the target.

Kiba was making a beeline towards Tayuya and Sasuke.

' _They lured Sakon right in front of me blocking my view, they were aiming for me the whole time!'_ Tayuya realized.

"So what, you think that's gonna do you any good?!" Sakon prepared to charge after him.

Tayuya found herself unable to move "What-What hit me?"

"It's called the Shadow Possession Jutsu." Shikamaru made himself known.

' _He's got me pinned down! Meanwhile…'_

"Got him!" Kiba suddenly made a grab for Sasuke.

"Tayuya don't just stand there! Get that guy!" Sakon barked.

' _No!'_ with Shikamaru manipulating her, Tayuya moved forward.

"What are you doing?! Get out of the way! _Can't stop in time!'_

Shikamaru released his shadow at the last second, causing Sakon to crash straight into Tayuya without himself being harmed ' _There!'_

"Guys, catch!" Kiba threw Sasuke over to the others.

Tatsu caught Sasuke and slung him over his shoulder "Got him! Shika, we're pulling out!"

"Don't worry, I'm coming." Shikamaru followed after them "Just as I thought, they left themselves wide open. Sometimes being so sure of your own strength can be a weak spot."

"Maybe but it worked, and the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts."

"Yeah but-" then he paused "Shit."

"What's up?"

"A new chakra signature coming at us at 3 o'clock, one I don't recognize. Whatever it is, it's powerful. Let's hurry, it'll be right on top of us in a few minutes."

"You think it's that easy?!" Sakon flashed into the first level of his Curse Mark and charged at them, with Tayuya following.

"He's fast, let's pick up the pace!"

Kiba heard Akamaru yip as he put down some paper bombs along the way "Akamaru, once you set the bombs get moving!"

Sakon didn't notice a bomb until after it'd been lit "Shit!" he got caught in the blast.

Naruto grinned, along with the others "Alright, he fell for it!"

"Akamaru, nice work buddy!" Kiba received a yip.

"Don't you mess with me!" a pissed off Sakon emerged from the blast zone.

Kiba saw Akamaru trip and fall "Akamaru!"

"That's the last time you yip at me you mutt!" Sakon tied him down with some trapwire "You won't get away!"

"Hang on Akamaru!" Kiba covered Akamaru just as the blast went off, sending all of them tumbling down a cliff into the ravine below them.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Naruto cried out "Dammit, what's happening? Where are they!"

"Guys, new enemy at 3 o'clock!" Tatsu barked "And at 12 o'clock."

Tayuya suddenly froze "What? What are _you_ doing here?"

A shadowy figure suddenly appeared and kicked Sasuke away from Naruto and the others, then caught him and landed on another branch.

"Kimimaro…"

The figure, now known as Kimimaro, turned to face her "You were taking too long Tayuya, and what of our comrades, what happened to our other three men? This from the former members of the Sound Ninja 5."'

"Why have you come back here? Your body is… by now your body is…"

"My body is too devastated to move on its own anymore, I use the power of my mind."

"No way, now you're cheating death?"

"I understand much more now, the strength of my life force has intensified since escaping the prison of human flesh. I have had a taste of Lord Orochimaru's magnificent dream. This vessel is an important part of his dream, it has the flesh that Lord Orochimaru desires, but you have taken too much time in retrieving it."

Shikamaru studied Kimimaro ' _Another freak to deal with, he doesn't seem like an ordinary opponent. We need to buy time and sort out the situation, it'd be stupid to confront him without-'_

"Hey jerk!" Naruto yelled at Kimimaro, ripping Shikamaru from his thoughts "I've had just about enough of this crap you're spewing out!"

"Naruto…"

"I'm taking Sasuke back now!" he charged in a rage.

Then Tayuya appeared and slugged him, sending him flying ' _That little-'_

Then Kimimaro appeared beside her "Tayuya, I could end your life right now if I wished to. The reason I've decided to spare you is because you have a duty that you must complete, and my duty is to deliver the boy to Orochimaru alive."

"I thought you said it was too late for that now."

"You weren't listening, I told you that's the body that Lord Orochimaru desires more than anything else."

"It's his next vessel isn't it?"

"Exactly Tayuya, and delivering it to him is the only thing that I can do to please him. As for those four pieces of garbage, I leave them to you." then he grabbed Sasuke and took off.

Shikamaru's mind was racing ' _Our mission is to find Sasuke and bring him back to the Leaf Village. We've gotta choose the path best for the mission, if we don't then we'll fail.'_

Tayuya pulled out her flute "You rodents, I'm gonna end this in a flash!"

"Guys, listen to me. I've got a plan, but you've gotta follow it exactly."

Tayuya couldn't hear their plan and studied them instead, Tatsu and Naruto first ' _Their only good moves are that Shadow Clone Jutsu, classic close range dumbass.'_ then Shikamaru ' _And that one is a mid-range combat type, traps his enemies with the shadow jutsu. Thinks he's a pretty sharp platoon leader, my snow-white ass.'_ then Lee ' _I don't know anything about that one, so I'd better be careful.'_

"Alright, you guys got it?" asked Shikamaru, receiving nods.

"Well let's get on with it chumps!"

Shikamaru drew a kunai "It's 4-on-1, we've got the advantage! If we all gang up on her then we've got a good shot, what do you say guys?"

"Let's get her!" they all chorused.

Tayuya smirked "It doesn't matter how many of you there are, you're still a bunch of worthless jackasses!"

"Don't be cocky, we've got teamwork on our side!" and they charged.

"Bring it on!" she blocked a kunai.

"Now guys!"

"We'll knock your lights out!" but instead, Naruto, Tatsu and Lee all charged on ahead "Later bitch!" and they left.

Tayuya growled "What the-? That whole thing was a trick, teamwork my ass you conniving little son of a bitch!" she snapped out of her rage just in time to escape his shadow "Nice try."

Shikamaru smirked "You sure talk a pretty big game, but you fell for the oldest trick in the book."

"You fool, you've got some nerve!"

"Oh well, at least I bought enough time for my friends to get away. Remember this, a person's jutsu isn't his only weapon."

Tayuya growled.

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Tatsu lead Naruto and Lee onwards "Come on guys, we've gotta move. And Naruto keep your cool, Kurama's chakra is leaking out."

Naruto quickly composed himself "Sorry."

"Just remember, you're not the only one who wants to save him. _Just hang in there Sasuke, we're coming for you.'_

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Kimimaro set Sasuke down in a meadow ' _When Tayuya comes back, I'll have to kill her.'_

"BACK THE HELL UP!" with a thunderous roar, Tatsu showed up, with Naruto and Lee right behind him "Hey."

Kimimaro turned to face him "Let's see, how shall I destroy the three of you?"

"You mean we." then Aoi suddenly appeared "I've been waiting for hours at the valley but the Sound 4 never showed. I never imagined Lord Orochimaru would send you."

"He didn't send me, I came of my own free will. You take the Uchiha and bring him to Lord Orochimaru, I shall deal with this vermin and join you shortly."

"So be it, but I'm not going to wait for you forever." then Aoi slung Sasuke over his shoulder and left.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" Naruto charged, his eyes turning red and his appearance becoming more feral.

Kimimaro blocked his way "You will not proceed. _It seems this one possesses an unusual chakra.'_

"Tell me what Orochimaru is planning to do, and why the hell is he trying to get Sasuke so damn bad?!"

"Lord Orochimaru has already acquired the Immortality Jutsu, but a vast amount of time is required to obtain every jutsu and everything he wants from this world."

"So what?! What does that have to do with Sasuke?!"

"Just because he's immortal doesn't mean his body can maintain itself forever, so before his flesh decays a strong new body must be made into a vessel for his soul."

"Are you saying… that he's gonna use Sasuke's body?!"

"Precisely…"

"No, not Sasuke!" crimson chakra began flaring around Naruto's body "I WON'T LET YOU DO IT!"

"Naruto!" Tatsu cut him off sharpy "Listen carefully. The one carrying Sasuke is Aoi Rokusho, a former Hidden Leaf jonin wanted for deserting the village and stealing the Raijin Blade, a sword belonging to the Second Hokage himself."

"So what?!"

"I'm saying that he uses a LIGHTNING sword."

Naruto blinked.

"Crimson Wind his ass you idiot!"

Naruto blinked again.

"Just go."

"Got it!" Naruto charged off after him.

"No you don't." Kimimaro suddenly pulled a bone sword out of his body "Now you die!"

Tatsu suddenly appeared and blocked Kimimaro's sword with his own "Forget it, I'm your opponent now." then he pushed away the bone sword, then leapt away back over to where Lee was and sheathed his own blade "Lee, listen carefully. I'm gonna take this guy on by myself, if I can't beat him then you've gotta stop him from pursuing Naruto. Got it?"

Lee nodded "Got it."

"Good, and thanks. _So he pulled a bone sword out of his body, what else has he got?'_ he charged in, and nearly lost his life because of it.

" **Camelia Dance."**

Tatsu found the left side of his vision filled with a thin white line, and instantly knew what it was as well as the fact that it was in motion. So he rolled and leaned at the same time, barely managing to position his body to spin and slam his elbow into the back of Kimimaro's head.

The sword arced down from the stab, sweeping to cut open Tatsu's stomach.

Tatsu clasped both hands around the blade, allowing the momentum of Kimimaro's swing to throw him clear. He could see in the distance ' _Come on, just a little more time and then I can get serious.'_

"You do not have time to be concerned around your comrade's safety." Kimimaro.

"It's not him or the others I'm worried about. _Frankly right now, it's me.'_

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Shikamaru's battle with Tayuya began, with Tayuya summoning three creatures to help her in combat.

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Kiba and Akamaru's battle with Sakon and Ukon had already begun.

Now Sakon's brother Ukon revealed himself to help Sakon fight.

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While guiding her three beasts after Shikamaru, Tayuya activated the first level of her Curse Mark to make controlling them easier.

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As his battle with Kiba went on, Ukon entered the second level of his Curse Mark.

Recognizing the huge increase in strength Ukon and Sakon received, Kiba and Akamaru combined into a large two-headed wolf and unleashed their Wolf Fang Over Fang.

However, Sakon and Ukon are able to block the attack and split apart.

As the transformation dispersed, Akamaru was attacked and left heavily injured, and Ukon merged himself with Kiba's body.

Kiba needed to get rid of Ukon to save Akamaru and quickly stabbed himself, causing both him and Ukon to cough up blood.

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Tatsu leapt back and threw some shuriken to cover his retreat.

Kimimaro wasn't dissuaded, his sword knocking the shuriken out of the air, cutting some of them clean in half.

Tatsu's eyes hardened with his kind racing ' _Come on, there's gotta be a way to get around this Kekkei Genkai.'_ he managed to throw out a kunai right in the right instant.

It did nothing but stick in Kimimaro's skin, not going in much further than a centimeter.

' _Damn, didn't even draw blood. I'd have to get him with a wind or lightning jutsu, but I need time for those and in a fight like this that's something I don't have. I'd never have enough time to get through the hand signs and fire it off, so how am I gonna go about this?'_

"Is this all you're capable of, last of the Kamikaze?" Kimimaro questioned, the first words he'd uttered since the battle began "All you can do is run away and harass me with meaningless trinkets?"

Tatsu's reply came in the form of a kunai taking Kimimaro right in the middle of the forehead.

Anyone else would've died then and there, but Kimimaro wasn't anyone else, and he was totally unharmed as the kunai dropped harmlessly to the ground without a drop of blood "If you will not come to me, then I will come to you. **Digital Shrapnel!"** finger bones shot out at Tatsu, almost faster than he could dodge. Almost.

Tatsu burst out of the way, counting on his perceptive abilities to keep him alive, and he didn't miss how the ground roiled when the attacks hit ' _Great, one of those hits and I'm f*cked.'_ then his chest burst open with a long white blade spearing him clean through.

"You were careless." Kimimaro was behind him.

"So were you." Tatsu exploded.

"A Shadow Clone."

"Got you!"

Kimimaro was visibly shaken as he looked down at the arm bursting from the soil to try and grab him by the ankle. He slammed a palm down, a long thin bone protruding from, as well as other parts of his body " **Willow Dance."**

The arm popped, replaced by a log.

"Substitution. Predictable."

" **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder Fist!"** the ground exploded again as Tatsu burst from below and catapulted into the air, haloed against the sun, a ball of purple lightning screaming in his hand.

Kimimaro crossed the bones of his palms, clearing intending to block the attack.

Whatever he expected, it wasn't for the bones to snap like they didn't exist, shattering into thousands of fragments as the Purple Thunder Fist continued on unabated.

Kimimaro threw himself to dodge.

Tatsu cut him, leaving a vicious gash across the chest ' _Dammit, it didn't work. He dodged it at the last second. His Curse Mark on his chest activated at the last second, and now this is gonna get a hell of a lot harder.'_ he then followed through, landing and spinning, then smoothly went from jumping to running.

In a moment Kimimaro was right there with him, both sprinting across the field for all they were worth, arms and legs pumping, mere blurs to the average eye. White bullets flew from Kimimaro's fingertips.

He frowned as Tatsu flipped, rolled, dodged and contorted, slipping between the gaps between the bullets, none of them coming closer than an inch to him. They slammed to a stop, each one breathing hard, though Tatsu felt like he was breathing harder than they should've been ' _Come to think of it, there was that chakra-eating dome the fat guy hit me with. Then again, recovering from using the Tenseigan Chakra Mode does take some time so was only at about 80% to begin with. I'm probably down to 50% now, I've gotta end this soon or I won't last much longer.'_

Kimimaro had his own concerns ' _My disease is accelerating faster than I would've expected. The Curse Mark is accelerating the effects, eroding my body. But I don't care, it doesn't matter. All I do is for Lord Orochimaru, if that means death then so be it.'_ he felt a voice in the back of his mind screaming that he didn't want to die, but knew that it was inevitable either way ' _I'm here to safeguard Lord Orochimaru's body, and I must defeat this boy to do it.'_ then he opened himself again to the Curse Mark, his body searing as the lines all over his body began expanding and covering him completely. Sicky purple chakra welled up at the bottoms of his feet before roaring into the sky, forcing an ominous wind to move over the plains ' _That boy doesn't look concerned. No, if anything, he looks ready. Clearly he's not such a novice that he could be taken off guard by something like this.'_ he felt pain rip through him as the change began happening. He ignored the searing pain that raged through his whole body, though it wouldn't come close to comparing to the pain that came with failing Orochimaru. If it meant being useful, then he could and would endure anything.

Tatsu saw the seal on Kimimaro's chest glowing and prepared himself ' _What now?'_

Kimimaro's skin roiled and writhed like it was an entirely different being, it must've hurt by Kimimaro made no acknowledgement of the pain.

And then the world exploded.

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Ukon separated from Kiba and rejoined with Sakon in order to recover. Kiba was quick to find Akamaru, and the two fled down the river, discarding Kiba's jacked in the process.

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Shikamaru was able to pick up the movements of Tayuya's creatures.

Unfortunately, she had them switch actions before he could act.

And yet despite her efforts, he was able to devise a plan to defeat her creatures. Using a flash bang to lengthen the shadows in the area, Shikamaru captured the creatures and prepared to turn them against Tayuya.

To prevent this, Tayuya called off the creatures, making them disperse.

Despite this, Tayuya was captured by Shikamaru's shadow, forcing her to activate the second level of her Curse Mark.

With Tayuya now strong enough to overpower his shadow, Shikamaru decided to instead use his shadow to attack, and attempted his Shadow Strangle Jutsu.

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The fireball roared in Tatsu's ears, deafening him, the shockwave blowing him right off his feet, the heat searing his skin almost to the point of burning. The earth bucked and kicked like it was alive, slamming him over and over again. Tatsu didn't know when he fell but he did, on his shoulder very painfully. The explosions didn't abate but continued on for several seconds.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, silence fell over the battlefield. Kimimaro had vanished, in his place was a pockmarked and tortured earth. Dust hung over the blasted landscape like smoke, small rocks and pebbles still raining down.

Tatsu staggered upright, his mind racing ' _Okay, first of all, that hurt like a bitch. Second of all, what the f*ck was that?!'_ then he sensed something and looked up ' _Oh. That's what happened.'_

A figure clad in a mask and a green kimono stood in a tree high above him.

' _Great, that guy again. Looks like he's searching for something. Never mind that, I've gotta sense out that other guy's chakra before he makes his move. Wait… shit!'_ he dove forward right as the earth beneath him burst apart.

A thin bone spike filled the space where his head had just been, and Kimimaro shot over the tip of him, not expecting him to dodge.

' _No follow up attack, thank god.'_

" **Rebirth Wheel Cannon: Gold!"** a sudden blast of pure golden light hammered down a second later, and Tatsu was thrown off his feet again.

This time Tatsu was ready and landed on all fours like a cat ' _Unbelievable. First there's Lee now this guy- wait, where the hell did Lee go?'_

Dragon landed on the ground beside him "Kekkei Genkai, sometimes you love them and sometimes you hate them."

Kimimaro was on all fours, a bone dome above him, sprouting from thick stalks that came out of his shoulders, all down his spine, back of the skull, and pelvis. The actual dome itself was a shattered and broken mess, falling apart in chunks. It fell away altogether when the bones slurped back under Kimimaro's skin and he stood up.

"Rather surprising, I didn't expect there to be a survivor of the Kaguya clan."

"So what're you doing here?" asked Tatsu.

"Your Hokage was concerned how the mission was progressing, so Master Jiraiya sent me and my companion to back your team up. I must admit that you did well."

"And I'm gonna win, I wanna finish this on my own."

"Oh that was the plan anyway, I'm just here to bail you out."

"Let's go over this, I'm fighting a Kaguya, Lee's nowhere to be seen, Shika's fighting that redhead, Sasuke's been taken by a guy with the Second Hokage's sword."

"Don't worry, I have most of that covered. I wouldn't be of much use to you right now anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm just a Shadow Clone. Bye." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

' _Well he knows the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so that's promising I guess. Still though, it's gonna take everything I have left in me to beat this guy, I won't be in any shape to help Naruto out by the time I reach him. Sorry Naruto, but you're on your own this time.'_

' _Now!'_ Kimimaro made to fire another Digital Shrapnel barrage.

Tatsu was on him before that, punching, kicking and slashing like a madman, driving Kimimaro back through sheer ferocity.

Kimimaro aimed a kick.

Tatsu was already predicting the attack just as Kimimaro prepared to move, managing to dodge by the time the kick was where it should've been.

"Your skill is most irritating." Kimimaro sounded aggravated.

Tatsu knew that was the closest he'd get to acknowledgment "Members of my clan have a habit of that, now where were we?"

They charged again.

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Kiba thought he'd lost Ukon and sighed "That was close."

"What was?"

Kiba froze and saw Ukon in front of him, wearing his jacket "How did you-?"

"I knew that it would work."

' _My jacket!'_

"You're so used to your own smell you didn't notice it on the wind." Ukon drew a kunai.

"So you were skulking around in my jacket to cover your scent. You seem to know a lot about tracking, no wonder I couldn't smell you. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, right? Seriously, how am I supposed to keep track of someone who can split in half? Well come on then, finish it."

"You're staring death in the face, shouldn't you be screaming for mercy or something?"

Kiba gave a bitter smile.

"You're gonna die kid, wipe that grin off your face!" Ukon charged.

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Shikamaru had been attempting his Shadow Strangle Jutsu on Tayuya, but the problem was that his chakra was running out ' _Dammit, I'm wracking my brain here! Why can't I come up with anything? I'm at the end of my rope, I can't hold on any longer!'_ he was forced to retract his jutsu.

"Die!" Tayuya prepared to finish it, when…

" **Wind Style: Black Wind!"**

Tayuya was sent flying by a blast of wind, cutting her arm severely "Who the hell are you?"

A woman with a flame-patterned mask and a light purple kimono stood before her and quickly drew her katana "All you need to know is that I am here to defeat you."

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Ukon glared at the figure before him that blocked his kunai "And who are you supposed to be?"

Dragon drew his katana "I am your death."

Kiba stared in wonder ' _Who is this guy?'_

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Shikamaru stared at the woman before him "Who are you?"

"You needn't worry, I'm on your side." the woman assured him "I was sent by Lady Hokage and Master Jiraiya to back up your squad, along with my comrade. I will explain more when the battle is settled, but if you wish to know my name then just call me Izumi."

Tayuya looked on angrily "I don't know who you are bitch but you're gonna pay!" she took out her flute.

"The sound of her flute summons her genjutsu." Shikamaru warned.

"I understand. **Wind Style: Black Tornado Jutsu!"** Izumi breathed a black tornado, cutting down several trees and snapping Tayuya's flute in half.

' _She's deflecting the sound of the flute and nailing her opponent with a physical attack. She can attack and defend at the same time, that's a pretty jutsu to have.'_

Tayuya was hiding and freaked out ' _It's like that bitch was born to fight me.'_

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Sakon walked along the river and smirked "Well I don't see him, I guess Ukon must've taken him out already."

He was wrong.

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Ukon was quick to dodge a kunai "So you're a close-range combatant."

Dragon shrugged "Gee I wonder."

"Dude, behind you!" Kiba shouted ' _It's no use, I can't move.'_

Dragon looked back just in time to block an attack from Sakon "2-on-1, is it?"

"Sakon, he's all yours." Ukon told him "Finish him!"

"Gladly." Dragon then proceeded to break way and draw his sword, then formed a hand seal and summon 2 clones " **Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance!"** all 3 charged.

"Is that all you've got?!" Sakon destroyed one clone, but was quick to get cut in half by the other, killing him instantly.

"This is it!" Dragon quickly cut Ukon in half vertically as well, finishing it "There, it's over now." then he went over Kiba and held out his hand "Are you alright?"

"Um… yeah…" Kiba awkwardly accepted the hand "Thanks, uh…"

"My codename is Dragon. You don't need to worry, Lady Hokage and Master Jiraiya sent me as backup for your squad." he slung Kiba's arm over his shoulder "Don't worry, a medical squad was dispatched to retrieve the wounded. Your Akimichi and Hyuga friend have already been retrieved, and Kakashi Hatake is on his way as well."

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Shikamaru looked around "She must be hiding around here."

"Or she gave up." Izumi suggested, then chuckled slightly.

"Not her, she'd never run away."

"I know, I was joking." then she paused "What are her abilities?"

"Well her flute casts genjutsu, she uses it to ensnare her opponents. When she can't move, she delivers a lethal attack. She's a typical long-range genjutsu-style shinobi. Most likely, as soon as she saw your jutsu she realized it could counteract her own. That's why she retreated. Besides, it's 2 against 1 now. I doubt she'll show herself again until she's able to cast her genjutsu."

"So it's sound-based."

"That's right. Listen, sooner or later she's gonna get us cornered and that'll be that. I think we should withdraw until-"

"No, there's no need for that." a new voice cut in.

Shikamaru looked back to see Lee appear in front of them, skin already red "Lee?!"

"Sorry, Tatsu's fighting that new enemy and I got concerned so I came back to help. I've already opened the Fifth Gate and I've found her location, so I'm gonna try something really risky. I don't want you trying to stop me." he got into a stance, green vapor and chakra constantly radiating around his body " **Eight Inner Gates: Sixth Gate of Joy: OPEN!"** he unleashed the sixth gate, the vapor turning blue "This'll be over in less than a minute." he suddenly blitzed away.

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Tayuya looked around ' _Alright, I'm far enough away. It's time for my genjutsu.'_

"I don't think so!"

Tayuya suddenly found Lee in front of her "What?"

Lee snapped her flute in two like a twig "It's over." he sent her into the air with a blazing-fast kick, then jumped up to meet her ' _I've only got one shot at this before my body gives out from the pain._ **Asakujaku!"** he hit Tayuya all over her body with a rapid barrage of flaming punches, one final punch sending her crashing to the ground, dead "It's over." he leapt back down to the ground and powered down "Are you alright Shikamaru?"

"It's a drag but I'm fine, what about you?" asked Shikamaru.

"Fine. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Catch me." then he collapsed.

Izumi was quick to catch him.

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Tatsu flipped over Kimimaro's head, showering him with a barrage of kunai and shuriken, only for them to bounce off Kimimaro's gray and bone hide ' _Damn, ever since he entered the second level it's been taking everything I throw at him. My usual tactics don't work against him, I've gotta stay ahead of him somehow!'_ he landed, ducked the tail Kimimaro had sprouted, swept Kimimaro's feet out from under him and started folding the seals for his Purple Thunder Fist, only to be interrupted by another Digital Shrapnel barrage "I swear to the f*cking Sage of the Six Paths himself, I will break every finger and bone in your body when I get my hands on you!" he was starting to give in to the frustration. Not surprising since it was the umpteenth time he'd missed a blow because of the bones.

Kimimaro bounced back a few hops and put some distance between them.. He stared at Tatsu, earning a glare back "Rather poetic, is it not? The last of my clan against the last of your clan."

' _Okay Tatsu, what now? He's fast, really fast, can make steel-piercing bones, and he's really good in taijutsu to boot. One tough nut to crack.'_

Kimimaro suddenly staggered and coughed violently.

' _He's coughing up blood, is he sick or wounded from another battle? I can't see any visible wounds. Maybe I can turn this into a battle of attrition, sure I'm fatigued but I'm not coughing up gallons of blood like this guy. Better not give him a chance to pull out anything new though, that'd be bad.'_

Kimimaro bent over, the skin at the base of his neck rippling, before a bone protruded through his skin.

' _F*ck.'_ he was left dumbfounded by what he saw next.

Kimimaro ripped his SPINE right out of his back, the vertebrae sharp like the tip of a stiletto knife.

"Okay, I've been weirded out by your abilities up until now but there's no way in hell that one can be good for you."

" **Clematis Dance: Vine."** Kimimaro dashed forward, sword raised high.

Tatsu sprinted forward, waiting until the right second, then dropped into a slide, breezing right in between Kimimaro's legs ' _Should I punch him in the crotch? Tempting but no, chances are they're protected by a bone condom or something. I guess it gives a new meaning to the phrase "Balls of steel." Oh well, plan B I guess.'_ so he hooked Kimimaro's knees and took them out from under him, causing Kimimaro to smash down as Tatsu vaulted into the air and formed several hand seals ' _This jutsu is still experimental, but I guess I don't have a choice. It's all or nothing. Sorry Kakashi, but I've gotta use it. Remind me to thank you for helping me with this jutsu later._ **Lightning Style: Thunder Panther Jutsu!"** a snarling panther made of pure lightning emerged from Tatsu and furiously charged forward.

Kimimaro got onto his feet again and slashed it in half.

The panther became a single being again, and came at him from behind.

Kimimaro somersaulted over the panther and flicked his sword, which shot out like a whip.

Tatsu was forced to abandon the jutsu in order to dodge the attack ' _What the hell?'_ he was quick to dodge another swipe of the chain-spine-sword thingy as he put it "Okay there has to be a limit to how freaky a Kekkei Genkai can get, and I should know. I've got one of my own for f*ck's sake!"

"You are skilled." Kimimaro's spine sword retracted "Tell me your name."

"Only if you tell me yours."

"I am Kimimaro Kaguya."

"Tatsu Kamikaze.

"I must commend you Tatsu Kamikaze, no one has ever lasted this long in single combat with me before. However, my time grows short." he gagged and coughed up blood, further emphasizing his point "I must end this quickly." the spine in his hand began to grow until it had covered his arm, and was still expanding. Soon in place of his entire arm was a massive spiralling bone spike that stood nearly as tall as him " **Clematis Dance: Flower!"**

Tatus was rather startled by the size of the weapon, but he didn't show it.

' _Why isn't he forming any hand signs?'_ Kimimaro was quick to charge ' _Another wind, fire or lightning? I've already seen them, and this technique can absolutely outlast whatever his next jutsu is long enough to impale him._ Prepare to die, Tatsu Kamikaze!"

"Not today!" RASENGAN!" Tatsu slammed a Rasengan into the tip of the bone spike. The impact shattered the ground underneath them. Wind peeled everywhere in great sheets, ripping gouges into the grasses around them.

A bone sword appeared in Kimimaro's free hand "Die!"

"Shit!" Tatsu could only watch as the second blade came down on him, cutting him half and killing him instantly. Only for him to disappear in a puff of white smoke and electricity.

Kimimaro's world was suddenly filled with pain as electricity coursed through his body, immobilizing him.

' _He's helpless. Now's my chance!'_ a swirling sound filled the air " **Rasengan!"** the ground beneath Kimimaro burst apart, revealing Tatsu, having switched with a lightning-infused Shadow Clone at the last second.

"Forgive me… Lord Orochimaru…" those were Kimimaro's last words.

Tatsu's Rasengan was quickly grinded into Kimimaro's chest, obliterating his heart and a good portion of his lungs, then sending him spinning like a pinwheel before he finally stopped in a large crater. Tatsu slowly limped over and looked at the body "You were a worthy adversary Kimimaro, I'll remember this battle. I should thank you, you reasserted my confidence in myself." he then proceeded to dig a grave for Kimimaro and bury the body, before he finally fell to one knee ' _Okay, I'm done… How's Naruto doing? I met Aoi once or twice before he left the village, not long before my brother died. He was nothing to scoff at, but Kakashi could've beaten him. Still, I sensed something dark flowing through him. Orochimaru must've given him the Curse Mark like Kimimaro and the rest of his group. Naruto, be careful…'_

 **A/N:**

 **For awhile I was struggling with finding a way to get it so only Naruto would go on to the Valley of End to face Aoi, so I just decided to cut out Gaara's team entirely and replace them with Dragon and Izumi. And if you can't figure out who Izumi is then you're an idiot.**

 **I know Lee using the 6th Gate to kill Tayuya was kind of an asspull but I had to have him do something on this mission.**


	14. Successful Retrieval, Great Departure

"SASUKE!" Naruto was chasing Aoi in the direction he was carrying Sasuke ' _Come on come on come on!'_

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Aoi looked at the valley below him as he stood atop one of the heads "The Valley of the End, where the legendary battle between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha took place. A remarkable sight, but one that must be discarded." then he noticed Sasuke squirming "Finally come to have you?"

Sasuke took a minute to become totally aware again "Wha-? _That's right, those Sound freaks and this guy knocked me out._ I recognize you now. You're Aoi Rokusho, a former Hidden Leaf jonin. You're wanted for betraying us to join Orochimaru and for stealing a sword belonging to the Second Hokage."

"Very good, and you also know that you're going to be Lord Orochimaru's new vessel."

"How about… F*ck no!" he kicked Aoi under his knees, causing him to fall, then got on top of him and held a kunai to his throat "So you gonna go quietly or do I have to slit your throat and make it back on my own?"

Aoi merely spat blood in his face "You will come to where Lord Orochimaru is."

"How can you feel nothing? Orochimaru killed the Third Hokage and did everything he could to destroy the Leaf, whatever power he's planning to give me isn't worth it if I lose myself."

"You fool!" the mark on Aoi's hand glowed and black marks spread across his hand, his eye turning pure black and yellow "This is the power Lord Orochimaru can give you. Things like comrades and loyalty mean nothing in this world, the only thing that matters to people like us is power. If you insist on being stubborn then I suppose it can't be helped."

"Well if you're not gonna let me go then I'll get out of here with brute force." he formed a hand seal " **Release."** he suddenly grabbed Aoi by the front of his shirt and slugged him in the gut, sending him into the river ' _Even with my Gravity Seals released, I doubt I'd be able to beat this guy with his Curse Mark. The question is, can I occupy him long enough for one of the others to show up?'_

"SASUKE!" a voice roared.

Sasuke looked to see Naruto on the head of Hashirama "Naruto!"

"You alright?"

"For now, but the guy that took me has a Curse Mark and he's way stronger than the rest of the lackeys Orochimaru sent to get me."

"Yeah, apparently he's got the Second Hokage's sword."

"I know, I met him once before. He's nothing to scoff at."

"Tatsu said the same thing, let's hurry and take this guy down together.

"Actually, that's the thing. Naruto, this might sound a little selfish, but… I wanna fight him by myself."

"What?! Sasuke it's two against one in favor of us, we've just gotta double-team this ugly son of a bitch and-"

"Naruto!"

He shut up outright.

"Look, I know teamwork is important, but right now I need to cross this bridge and cross it alone, no matter how dangerous a bridge it turns out to be. If I can't work my way to the other side by myself then I'll just be a kid forever. So as your friend, teammate and comrade, I'm asking you. Please, don't take away my chance to prove that I can do this."

Naruto studied him for a moment ' _Sasuke… alright Kurama, what do you say?'_

" **You know how I feel about the Uchiha clan, but if this runt wants it so bad I say let him do it. Don't forget what Tatsu said, there's a fight to protect one's life and a fight to protect one's pride."**

"Sasuke, this is a fight for your pride isn't it?"

Sasuke nodded "It is, if I can't beat this guy then how can I hope to beat Itachi one day?"

' _Sasuke…_ You've really changed since the bell test, and I wanna see just how much. But let me say this, if it looks like you're gonna get killed then I'm gonna step in."

"Only if it looks like I'll be killed. And Naruto? Thank you."

"Just kick his ass." and Naruto leapt back ' _Sasuke, you'd better win because I wanna fight you myself.'_

"Did you think that would stop me?!" a furious Aoi emerged and charged upwards.

Sasuke was quick to kick him in the face, sending him back into the river "I didn't expect it, but don't think I'm gonna give up."

Aoi emerged and grabbed a kunai, then threw it.

Sasuke dodged it and threw a kunai of his own.

Aoi dodged it and hid behind a rock ' _Should I unleash my Curse Mark? No, not yet…'_

Sasuke quickly threw two kunai with wire strings attached and tied Aoi to a rock, then formed several hand seals " **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"** he unleashed an Uchiha fire dragon, the flames igniting the wires and engulfing Aoi within them ' _Is that it?'_

"You fool!" Aoi suddenly burst into the first level of his Curse Mark, then charged through the flames and slugged Sasuke in the gut "Don't tell me this is all you're capable of, now stop holding back and show me how undeserving of the Uchiha name you truly are." he then pulled out a sword made of lightning and stabbed him with it, before the blade disappeared.

' _That must be it, the Raijin Blade! I've got no choice, but it might not be enough.'_ Sasuke was quick to activate his Sharingan " **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder Fist!"** he contained the jutsu in his fist.

Aoi used the sword and blocked it with ease "Come now, that's not all to it is there?" the lightning within the blade dissipated the Purple Thunder Fist.

Sasuke was sent staggering back, his hand badly burnt.

"I should've told you, the Raijin Blade can cut through anything. It even cuts through water as if it were chakra. With this blade in my hand I'm unstoppable, I don't even need to unleash my Curse Mark to deal with you. But now, I suppose I should just kill blondie over there and bring you to Lord Orochimaru."

"N-Never…" Sasuke slowly stood up, hurt but still determined.

"Still at it are you? How touching. Defending your friend, looking out for your friend, pathetic nonsense. Only a weakling needs to protect others, trusting them to give him the strength he doesn't have for himself. For a man like that, it's always easiest just to run away like the coward he is."

"You're wrong… my desire to protect isn't my weakness… it's my strength… I will never… let anyone… hurt my friends… that's my nindo… my ninja way!"

"Protecting others? That's the strength of the Uchiha? Pathetic." he raised his sword, but blocked some kunai instead "You're resilient I'll give you that, but it doesn't matter how much you struggle. I'm Aoi Rokusho of the Hidden Sound and I wield the Raijin Blade, you will never defeat me."

"Is that so?" Sasuke's Sharingan flared into life as he gripped his left arm with his right hand, electricity crackling into life in his palm "I've gotta admit it's a perfect combination, the Raijin Blade against my Chidori. Alright then Aoi, let's find out which lightning is stronger! Take this! **Chidori!"** he finished powering up the Chidori and charged.

Aoi raised the sword and blocked the Chidori, sending Sasuke back.

' _Alright, plan B.'_ Sasuke drew his tanto and charged.

Aoi blocked every strike "It looks like the stories are true. I'd always heard the last of the great Uchiha clan was a hopeless loser unworthy of his family name. I don't know why Lord Orochimaru would want someone like you as his vessel." he hit Sasuke with some of the electricity on the blade, sending him to the ground "Now that he's quieted down, time to focus on blondie over there."

"Take it back…" Sasuke slowly stood up again "Take back what you said…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm warning you, don't mess with me!" another Chidori appeared in his hand "I am Sasuke… of the Village Hidden in the Leaves… and I am the last… OF THE UCHIHA!" with his pride on the line, Sasuke put as much chakra as he could into his next Chidori and charged.

Aoi was able to block it but just barely, and the clash was followed by a massive burst of lightning. When it dissipated, Aoi rose Sasuke into the air with the electricity from the blade, then threw him off of the Madara statue and into the river below "Well that's no good, if I killed him then Lord Orochimaru will have my head." he leapt down from the cliff in order to track down the body "Now then, where-"

"Right here!" a sharp kick to the face alerted Aoi that Sasuke was alive and well, still with plenty of fight left in him ' _Dammit, what am I gonna do? None of my jutsu work against that thing._ That doesn't matter now, I'm not gonna give up."

"Still trying to play the defiant one are you? I must give you credit though, most would've been dead once they hit the water."

"Shut up!" Sasuke charged in and kicked Aoi into the air " **Lion's Barrage!"** and he slammed Aoi to the ground with a vicious combo, before leaping away.

Aoi stood after the combo and spat out some blood "Not a bad move there Uchiha, but it's not gonna help you here."

"Shut up! **Chidori!"** having used the Lion's Barrage to pin Aoi down for a moment, Sasuke fired up a Chidori and charged.

"It's useless, that jutsu doesn't work on me!" Aoi cut through the Chidori and sent him crashing to the ground with ease "Pathetic, you really are unworthy of the name Uchiha."

"Shut up… shut up…" Sasuke slowly stood ' _One more time!_ **Lightning Style: Purple Thunder Fist!"** Sasuke fired up a Purple Thunder Fist and charged.

"Fool!" Aoi cut through the blast, the electricity of the blade sending him flying "You still don't get it, you have no chance of winning."

' _Dammit, that sword must be unstoppable!'_ then he noticed something ' _Wait a minute… that's it, my earlier rage Chidori must've made a crack in the blade! If I just aim for that, I can beat him?'_

"What, you haven't had enough yet? Come on, just give it up already."

"Absolutely not! _I'm desperate now, I've gotta pull out a classic. Thanks Iruka, I owe you for this one._ **Clone Jutsu!"** 5 flickering duplicates of Sasuke appeared, the original charing one more Chidori.

"This is bordering on ridiculous, I've always hated people who don't know when they should quit. Besides, I have to get you to the Hidden Sound soon or Lord Orochimaru will have my head."

"This is as far as you go!" two of the Sasuke clones charged in.

' _They're not solid clones, they're just illusions. A basic jutsu, he's getting desperate._ Enough cheap tricks." he slashed through all the clones, causing them to flicker and fade ' _Now where'd the real one go?'_

"Up here!"

Aoi looked up to see the real Sasuke charging at him ' _Dammit!'_

" **Purple Chidori!"** the attack clashed against the blade, eventually shattering it.

' _Impossible!'_

Sasuke wasn't done yet, and quickly struck Aoi in the chest with the attack.

' _This can't be happening!'_ Aoi quickly coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, not moving.

' _Okay, that's done._ Alright Naruto, let's head back and-"

Blood suddenly spurted into the air.

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"What did you say?" Kakashi's head snapped up "You mean you sent genin after Sasuke?"

"Genin and 3 newly-appointed chunin." Tsunade corrected "And besides, what else could I do? You know the state this village is in right now."

Kakashi merely sighed and hung his head.

"Anyway, I have a contingency plan in place."

Kakashi then turned around and started walking.

"Hey, where are you going? You already have a mission assigned to you."

"I have to go run an errand first. Be back in a bit, don't worry." and he walked out of the room.

"Oh great."

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After making his way to the gate, Kakashi cut his thumb and formed a seal " **Summoning Jutsu!"**

In a puff of smoke, Pakkun and the rest of Kakashi's ninja hounds appeared.

"Okay guys, fan out and start searching for Naruto and Sasuke's scent."

"Did you say Naruto and Sasuke?" asked Pakkun "What's going on? What happened to the two of them?"

"I'll explain later, right now time is of the essence."

"Right."

"Let me know as soon as you pick up their scent, I'll be there immediately. Alright, scatter!"

They scattered.

Kakashi looked back and saw a concerned looking Kin standing by the gate, then went over to her, put a hand on her shoulder and gave his signature eye smile "I might not know much about you, but I do know that Sasuke's very fond of you. Don't worry, I'll find them and bring them, particularly Sasuke, back to the village in no time. I promise." then he heard a howl from the distance, and he took off.

Kin looked on and watched him disappear from sight ' _Thank you… Kakashi…'_

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Kakashi was making a beeline through the forest as fast as he could "Please don't let me be too late…"

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Blood spurted into the air.

Naruto stared in horror ' _Sasuke… no…'_

Sasuke collapsed to the ground, a gaping wound in the center of his chest ' _H-How…'_

Aoi stood above him, black markings on his arms and face, appearing as a large beast-like creature, a confident and arrogant smirk plastered across his face "As I said before, this is the power granted to me by Lord Orochimaru. You should feel honored, you'll be the first of my prey I have to use it on."

Sasuke looked up at Aoi as he coughed up blood ' _His level of power is unbelievable, not the same level as Itachi but still unbelievable. My skin is crawling.'_

"What's the matter, too scared to make a move?"

"Y-You… wish…" Sasuke slowly stood, drew a kunai, and charged.

"You are a fool." he suddenly blitzed behind Sasuke and kicked him into one of the valley walls.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried.

"If I were you, I'd be more concerned about myself." Aoi suddenly appeared behind him and kicked him in the face, sending him down into the valley below.

Naruto was able to land on his feet right next to Sasuke ' _He's so fast, and his attack power is insane.'_

"This is the power Lord Orochimaru promised, I've never had to use it before so I wouldn't know. I've become unstoppable, I almost scare myself. Now then, aren't you impressed?"

"Not really!" one of Naruto's Shadow Clones grabbed Aoi from behind "Now! **Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"** the original fired several sharp slashes of wind.

Aoi suddenly appeared behind the original "You're too slow!" he kicked Naruto into the wall of the cliff.

"Naruto!" Sasuke slowly got back on his feet, despite the fact that he was bleeding out.

"Still willing to fight? You're persistent, I'll give you that." he vanished.

' _No, he didn't vanish. He's just moving really fast. He's accelerating and moving into my blindspot. In that case, I've gotta be on guard.'_ he activated his Sharingan and waited, before he heard something ' _There!'_ he fired a kunai.

"Not quite." Aoi attempted to kick him again.

"Not this time!" Sasuke leapt up onto a cliff wall "Now I've got you! **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"** he breathed a large fire dragon.

"No you don't!" Aoi dodged the attack and kicked him back into the river.

Sasuke emerged, still coughing up blood ' _Dammit, I can see his movements with my Sharingan but that doesn't get me anywhere if I still can't hit him!'_

"It's no trick, I'm not predicting your attacks. You just move so slow it's easy." he kicked Sasuke back onto the other side of the river, then waltzed over "You pathetic runt, this is what you get for defying Lord Orochimaru!" he stomped Sasuke into the ground hard, causing him to scream in pain "Come now, don't give up so quickly."

"Sasuke!" Naruto emerged "Don't you dare lay another hand on him!"

"Stay out of this brat, once the Uchiha is done you're next!"

"No way in hell!" Naruto drew a kunai "If you wanna get to Sasuke then you're gonna have to go through me!"

"Fair enough, then come!" Aoi charged.

Naruto was quick to fire off some shuriken.

"Come now, that's pathetic! You're not even close to matching me!"

"How about this? **Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** the shuriken multiplied.

Aoi was able to dodge about 90% of them, receiving some very shallow cuts, and began choking Naruto with his massive bicep "Fate has made my body into the ultimate weapon, and now you'll experience my new power first hand!"

"What're you talking about? When your power relies on getting it from someone else it's not true power!"

" **Like you're one to talk."**

' _Shut up Kurama!'_

"That's so like a Leaf ninja, always acting high and mighty." Aoi tightened his bicep "Go ahead brat, try and beat me using this new power you love so much! You'll never be like me, all your life you've been some pathetic genin who lets that village use you like a pawn! You know nothing of freedom and power, but you'd never reach this level even in a hundred years!" he then elbowed Naruto in the spine, sending him to the ground "This is only the beginning, I'll get even stronger than this. Soon Lord Orochimaru will share his hidden jutsu with me!"

"You don't honestly believe that's going to happen do you?"

"I'm getting tired of you acting like you know everything, I think it's time to finish this." he pulled out a scroll and summoned a giant shuriken "DIE!" and he threw it.

Naruto froze at what he saw next "No…"

Sasuke stood above him, the shuriken imbedded in his back since he took the hit for him "Hey… just like old times… eh, Naruto?" he coughed up blood "Aoi… don't you dare… lay another finger… on my friend…"

Aoi laughed "This is perfect, one brat who's hopelessly outclassed and another who's half-dead already! You should feel honored, you'll be the first to ever witness this form aside from Lord Orochimaru himself." with a might roar, he bulked up, his shirt being ripped to shreds, his skin becoming like that of a tiger "I won't let my guard down again, I'm calling upon every ounce of my strength to crush you brats! Now let's all have some real fun!"

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Pakkun looked back and saw Kakashi running "There you are."

Kakashi was quick to catch up with him "You sure it's this way?"

"Yep. We'd better pick up the pace, I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

' _Please, just let us make it in time!'_

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"DIE!" Aoi charged forward.

Naruto dodged it, but was almost blown away by the shockwave ' _Dammit, this guy's a f*cking powerhouse! And with Sasuke out cold and dying and everyone else out of it, I'm on my own for this fight!'_

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Sasuke opened his eyes and found himself in a white void "Where… Where am I? Am I dead?"

" **No, not yet at least."**

Sasuke looked up to see an electric-blue dragon in front of him "Who are you? Where am I?"

" **Calm yourself, you are in no danger. You and I are in a mutual plane of existence, set in between the living world and the one in which I reside, within the blade. I am known to many as Raijin."**

Sasuke's eyes shot wide "As in the blade?"

" **Correct, young one. I have sensed something in you that I have not sensed in anyone since Tobirama Senju himself: the spirit of thunder, the spirit of one willing to harden his heart to protect something they truly love and cherish. You, Sasuke Uchiha, are the next Thunder Swordsman."**

Sasuke was losing patience fast "Look, this is really interesting and all, but I've gotta get back out there or my friend is gonna be slaughtered!"

" **Calm yourself, your friend is in no danger at the moment. No time has passed since you came here. Now then, since you have proven yourself worthy, once you grip the handle, the blade's true power will be unleashed. Do you accept?"**

"If it means preventing my friend from getting slaughtered then yes, I accept."

" **Very well. Use this power wisely, Thunder Swordsman Sasuke Uchiha!"**

Then Sasuke saw everything go black.

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"DIE!" Aoi kicked Naruto to the ground.

' _Dammit!'_ Naruto mentally swore ' _I can't let him take me down like this or Sasuke and the others are screwed!'_

"ENOUGH!" a thunderous voice roared.

Aoi looked and saw something that made his eyes bulge out "What?!"

Sasuke stood before him, the Raijin Blade in hand, the blade morphing into an electric-blue katana with a lightning bolt on each side of the blade, and his Sharingan had gone from deep crimson with black tomoe to electric blue with golden tomoe "This ends now. _The power of Raijin has made it so much more clear, I feel like a fool for not noticing it before. This brute's raw power has increased beyond anything I've ever seen aside from Itachi, but his movements are getting sluggish and slow.'_

"I don't know what happened to you and I don't really care, all I do know is that you're going to die!" Aoi charged and slugged Sasuke in the face "Are you impressed? Do you appreciate the body given to me by Lord Orochimaru? I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!"

Then Sasuke suddenly disappear in a blast of lightning, scorching Aoi's hand severely.

"What?!"

"Are you impressed?"

Aoi turned to see Sasuke standing behind him "How?!"

"A new technique, more efficient than Tatsu or Kakashi's Lightning Style Shadow Clones. I call them Thunder Clones, they're great for escaping and electrocuting enemies. Now then, time for my next new ability. **Thunder Style: Lightning Perimeter!"**

Aoi looked around and saw 4 lightning bolt-shaped marks surrounding him "What?!" he was suddenly engulfed in a blast of lightning and screamed in pain.

"Time for a Kakashi original. **CHIDORI!"** he fired off a Chidori, piercing Aoi in the stomach and sending him tumbling back, dead "It's over. Naruto."

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto had been silent the entire time and watching the onslaught, and only now had he finally found his voice "That… was… AWESOME! What the hell was that?!"

"This thing." Sasuke held up his sword "I was unconscious, then the spirit of this sword told me that it would lend me its power in exchange for protecting those I hold dear." he looked up and saw rain coming down "It's over…"

"Naruto. Sasuke."

Both looked up to see Kakashi arrive with Pakkun "Kakashi…"

"Are you two alright?"

"Don't worry sensei, we're fine." Naruto assured him "Sasuke took most of the damage in that fight, and he saw the one who finished that guy off."

"I know, I saw. Sasuke, that was amazing. What was that?"

"The power of the sword." Sasuke held up the blade, then sheathed it "It gave me it's power to protect… now I can-" he stepped forward, then suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.

"Sasuke!" Naruto quickly caught him "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Hang on." Kakashi took Sasuke into his arms "We've gotta get him back for medical treatment fast, are you good for the trip?"

"No sweat, you know how I am."

"Good, let's move." Kakashi quickly took off, with Naruto following.

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On the way back, Dragon met up with them "Kakashi."

"How are they?" asked Kakashi.

"The Medical Corps is picking them up as we speak, emergency treatment was administered on the scene and then they were all immediately transported to the hospital."

"They were all wounded?"

"Yes. Wait, I need to get the report up to date." he pulled out a notepad "Let's see here… Naruto and Shikamaru received only minor injuries. Kiba Inuzuka, Tatsu Kamikaze, and Rock Lee's injuries are more serious. However, Neji Hyuga, Choji Akimichi and Sasuke Uchiha are all in critical condition. At this point, they could go either way. Sound about right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

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The group was soon recovering at the hospital, and Tsunade was hard at work on repairing the effects of the pills Choji took.

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Kiba looked on as Akamaru was treated by his sister Hana "Well sis, how is he?"

Hana sighed "Well no long walks for him any time soon that's for sure."

"Can't you do anything for him? You're a vet."

"Not a magician, it takes time. But relax, his life's not in danger."

Kiba suddenly winced from the pain of his wounds.

"No long walk for you anytime soon either."

"I got it, don't worry."

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Shizune was in charge of the group healing Neji, using his own hair as a conductor for the process.

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Shikamaru sat anxiously outside the room where Choji was being treated ' _Choji…'_

"Hey."

Shikamaru looked to see Tatsu limping towards him on crutches "Hey."

"No point in making yourself crazy, don't forget our psychological training. With every mission comes sacrifice."

"Training and reality are two different things. I thought I knew about missions, I thought I knew what it meant to be a shinobi. Now after this mission, my first as a squad leader and your second, only one thing's clear. I'm just not cut out to be a shinobi. This mission, I thought all I had to do was depend on everybody else. Some leader, I should've done more but I didn't have the strength. It's all my fault." he started walking away.

Then Tatsu's voice stopped him "So that's it? One bad mission and you're just walking away?"

"You bet I am, standing around arguing isn't my thing. That's something girls like to do."

"Sexism aside, what the hell does that make you? Not a man, that's for sure. The way I see it, you're nothing but a coward. Do you think that if you quit then the missions will stop? Someone has to do it, your comrades will be sent out again on other missions with someone else leading them. They'll face the same risks, and some of them might not make it. Ones you might've saved if you'd been there for them. How will you feel then? You've got a chance to reflect on your mistakes and learn on them, use your failures to become a better leader. You won't help your friends by running away, instead you should be trying to make yourself stronger for their sake so that the next mission goes well and everyone gets back safe. The choice is simple here Shika, you're either a leader or a coward. What's it gonna be?"

Then the light turned off, Tsunade came out, and she smiled "He's gonna be just fine, the antidote worked. The extermination of cells caused by the pill's effects has been rested. I couldn't have done it without your help, the Nara clan's sacred medicine guide was invaluable. The work that went into that manual, the years of research, well it's quite impressive to say the least."

Shikaku nodded from behind a corner "Thank you."

"Lady Tsunade!" then Shizune rushed onto the scene and sighed "Neji Hyuga is safe, his condition has stabilized."

"And what about Hayate-sensei?" asked Tatsu, his less secure side emerging "How was his surgery?"

"His operation was a success, he'll be fine." Tsunade told him "Better than ever in fact, that guide from the Nara clan was what helped me to completely cure his illness. He'll need to recover a few months, but once that's done he'll be back and better than ever."

"There's more milady." Shizune told her "I've just heard that Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha have returned and they've been examined. Naruto's injuries are minor, but Sasuke Uchiha is in critical condition. He needs immediate."

"Right, let's go."

Tsunade quickly rushed off, with Shizune following.

Tatsu didn't need to see Shikamaru's face to know how he was feeling "Shika, this mission was a success on every note. We got Sasuke back, we offed 6 of Orochimaru's strongest men, and everyone got back alive. That's the most important thing."

"Yeah…" Shikamaru choked out, tears streaming down his face "The next mission… will go perfectly…"

"Listen Shika, there's no way to be a perfect leader but there's a million ways to be a great one. I'm sure someone as smart as you will find every single one of them sooner or later."

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Naruto sat in his hospital bed, only one thing on his mind ' _Sasuke… you'll pull through, I know you will.'_

"Hey."

Naruto looked to see a figure enter his room "Hey, uh…"

"Oh for-" the figure held up some bandages to his face.

"Dosu?"

"Yep, the procedure was a success."

"But wait, you had the scars healed back in Tanzaku."

"I did, but I wanted my eye fixed before I took the bandages off for good."

"Oh. So how's everyone else?"

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Ino met up with Kin, Tenten and Hinata at the front desk of the hospital "I was gonna go check up on Choji and see how he's doing."

"I'm gonna check on Lee real quick then see Neji." said Tenten.

"Hinata?"

"I was gonna… go check in on Kiba…" Hinata murmured softly.

"Kin?"

"I was gonna go check in on Naruto, and Sasuke if I can." Kin told her, her voice laced with concern.

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Naruto looked down "I see, well at least everybody's okay. That's good."

"And Sasuke?" asked Dosu.

"He's in surgery right now, he lost a lot of blood and had a lot of injuries, not to mention a big hole in the chest. How's Kin taking it?"

"She's been really worried ever since he was taken, and Zaku took a bad stab to the gut but he's bounced back. I think he's visiting Kiba."

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Ino had met up with Choza outside of where Choji was being worked on "So they're still not letting anyone in to see him?"

"No, but they say he'll be regaining consciousness soon." Choza told her "He'll be alright."

"Thank goodness."

"It was a fortunate day in this village when Lady Tsunade agreed to come back, if it weren't for her then Choji would've…"

' _Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage…_ I'm gonna go check on Tatsu, let me know when they're letting people see Choji." and she left.

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Tsunade was quick to find Ino outside Tatsu's door "Here for a visit?"

"Yes…" Ino muttered quietly.

"New travels fast I see."

"I heard about the mission and rushed here as fast as I could, they weren't letting anyone see Choji so I came to see Tatsu."

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Tatsu was explaining to Zaku about his fight "I'm serious man, Kimimaro was one tough customer."

Zaku nearly freaked "You beat Kimimaro?!"

"Barely but yeah."

"He was the strongest one Orochimaru had, just being in the same room as him made my skin crawl!"

"I see why."

"I'm surprised." then Tsunade came in, with Ino right behind her "I'm surprised, you seem to be doing well all things considered. I'd heard your injuries were pretty serious, but you seem to be doing well. Well I'll leave you two to your conversation then."

"Actually Lady Tsunade, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Awhile back, you offered me a chance to be a tokubetsu jonin, the same rank as Hayate-sensei. Is that offer still available?"

Tsunade blinked, same with Zaku and Ino "What brought this on?"

"This mission just helped me prove something to myself, that's all."

Tsunade gave a small smile "Well you did help me defeat Orochimaru and kill the last of the Kaguya clan. I don't see why not."

"Thank you. Also, how's Sasuke doing?"

"He was messed up pretty badly but he'll be just fine, though he'll be out of it for quite awhile."

"I see, that's good."

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Naruto was resting in his hospital room, having already heard from Zaku about Sasuke ' _I see, so he'll be alright.'_ then he heard a huge crash outside his room "What the f*ck?" he opened the window "Pervy Sage?"

Jiraiya sat outside the hospital on top of a giant toad "Hey there, heard about your mission. Nice work."

"I didn't really do that much though, Sasuke was the one who got the win in the end."

"Yeah I heard, I didn't think he'd unlock the power of Raijin though. Anyway listen, what I have to tell you is important and can't wait."

"Hold on a second." then Tatsu came in, supporting an injured Lee "I heard the crash and sensed your chakra Jiraiya, what's going on?"

"You guys feel free to listen, but this mainly concerns Naruto." he turned to Naruto "From now on you're my only student, I need to make a full-fledged shinobi out of you in 3 years and I'll do it."

"Why 3 years?" asked Naruto.

"We've received some disturbing information regarding the Akatsuki."

"You mean that group Itachi and Kisame were part of?" Lee guessed.

"Exactly. We have reason to believe Naruto has been chosen as their next target, and we have 3 or 4 years before they come after him."

"And we've still got the Orochimaru issue to deal with." Tatsu pointed out "He tried to get his hands on Sasuke's body, who's to say he won't try again."

"I see you guys already know all the gruesome details of Orochimaru's little scheme."

"You knew all about it too?" asked Naruto.

"Of course, don't you think I've been studying that Immortality Jutsu of his? That's also how I know our good friend Orochimaru won't be able to reincarnate himself in another body for at least 3 more years, so Sasuke's safe until then. Fortunately, he ran out of time and had to take over another body, so you've all got time to train and get stronger before then." he leapt back onto his toad "We've got a lot of work to do when you get out of here, so be ready to hit the ground running. See you then." and he and the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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Tsunade heard a knock on her door "Come in."

Ino entered, a determined look in her eyes "I'm here to make a request milady."

"What is it?" she didn't bother looking up from paperwork.

"I would like to be your apprentice."

Tsunade actually dropped her paperwork and stared hard at Ino ' _So that's how it is, poor thing must really be desperate._ Ino Yamanaka, I'm told you have a fine mind and that your will is strong. Very well, but be warned, I won't go easy on you."

"I wouldn't have come if I thought you would."

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Sasuke's eyes shot open and he sat up, then let out a fierce pained groan and quickly laid back down, then noticed his heavily bandaged chest and, well, everything "Ow… Where the hell am I anyway?" he looked to his left and saw a white curtain, then a small stand for personal things right in front of it, the rest of the space around him being filled, but most annoying of all was the blasted light above him "Seriously, I'm gonna find whoever came up with the idea to put those things right above people's faces and shove a Chidori up their ass. No wonder 80% of the clan hated doctors." he saw a mirror on the far wall in front of him "I look like hell. How'd I get here?"

"Naruto and Kakashi dragged your sorry ass back from the Valley of End, if we didn't operate on you then you would've been dead the minute you got in here."

"How long have I been in here?"

"A week give or take, the Raijin power you used at the valley." she came over, shined a light in his eyes, took his temperature and felt and moved Sasuke's arm, making him yelp from the searing pain "Still sensitive?"

"Very."

"You're incredibly lucky you know, if you'd been just a little later then we wouldn't be having this conversation and Naruto and the others would be crying over your casket."

"It was either fight or I get taken to Orochimaru, what was I supposed to do?"

"Fair enough. I'd say you're fine, but I want to keep you for observation for another just to be safe. And besides, I think _she_ would probably try to kill me if I let you leave without letting her know."

"Her?"

Tsunade pulled back a curtain, revealing Kin asleep in the bed next to Sasuke's "She hasn't left your side this whole time, keeps asking me or Shizune how you're doing every damn time we come into the room. I don't think she's eaten or slept since you were admitted, she passed out in the hallway on the way back from the bathroom some time last night."

"She did?" Sasuke sounded surprised that Kin was so worried about him ' _Then again, I'd probably do the same thing for her.'_

"You're a lucky kid runt, be good to her." and Tsunade walked out of the room.

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Tatsu had been waiting in the hospital lobby "How is he?"

"He's awake, finally." Tsunade told him.

"He's tough, any normal person would be in a coma for months at least."

"And the Raijin power probably helped that."

"True. Anyway, Naruto wouldn't start training until he knew Sasuke was alright."

"I'll be sure that Jiraiya lets him know, then he'll head out in the morning."

"Right, and Ino?"

"She passed my test, I start training her tomorrow."

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Sasuke woke up the next morning, still but much more comfortable than the night before ' _Looks like someone took off the bandages so I can breath again. Still bruised by the looks of it.'_ he then looked at the wound on his chest, which had turned into a bad scar ' _Doesn't look like that's going away.'_ a quick poke made him jump "Still tender, okay." he looked down and saw Kin fast asleep at the side of his bed ' _She's beautiful when she sleeps, even though she's drooling.'_ he felt a surge of affection for her ' _Maybe it was meant for something like this.'_ he gave her a quick poke on her forehead "Hey Kin, wake up."

She stirred, but nothing more.

He poked her again "Come on Kin, wake up."

This time she did, her black eyes cloudy and unfocused "Wha-?" she looked up at Sasuke, then blinked a few times "Sasuke…" she threw her arms around him.

"Ow, watch the ribs!"

Kin just ignored him "You're alright…" she kept repeating that over and over until she finally broke down sobbing, clinging to Sasuke for dear life.

Unsure of what to do, Sasuke just cautiously wrapped his arms around her "Yeah, I'm fine… though I'd appreciate it if you let up on my ribs for a second."

Kin jumped back, blushing fiercely "Sorry."

"It's alright, better than yesterday anyway."

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah, Tsunade was in here and I happened to be up."

"And she didn't tell me? That old hag, she promised she'd tell me the second you woke up!"

"You know Kin, I'm pretty sure you don't wanna splatter against the floor because Tsunade heard the wrong thing."

Kin looked and saw Tatsu in the doorway "Tatsu… I didn't… it's not… crap…"

"It's alright, she won't hear it from me."

"Thank you."

"Sure." then he looked over to Sasuke "What's up Thunderclap?"

"So you heard?" Sasuke guessed.

"Yep, and I've gotta say. NICE!" then he turned serious "Alright fun's over, time to get down to business. Short version, Itachi and Kisame and the rest of their organization, they're called the Akatsuki, are gonna come after Naruto for what's inside him in about 3 years. You, me and Lee are all gonna train our asses off until then. Oh, and Tsunade wants to see you about something. Later." and he left.

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Once a quick check-up was over with, Sasuke was walking out the doors with Kin right by his side "Free at last, finally!"

Kin giggled "Sasuke, you were unconscious for most of it."

"What's the difference? Anyway, I'd better head over and see what Tsunade wants. I'll meet you back home. See you."

He was about to walk away when Kin's voice stopped him "Sasuke, hold on."

Sasuke stopped and looked back "What is it?"

Kin quickly rushed over, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, then was gone before he could react.

"So… I should go then…" Sasuke then awkwardly made his way to the Hokage tower.

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Tsunade heard a knock on her door "Enter."

Then Sasuke came in "Tatsu said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. Considering how you performed during that mission, even if you were only there because you were kidnapped, you still awakened the power of my Grand Uncle's sword. So I and the elders and many others agree that you deserve this." she held out a vest "As of today you stand a chunin, congratulations."

Sasuke took the vest and strapped it on, then bowed "Thank you."

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For Kin, there was only one person on her mind, and she'd just kissed him on the cheek and left, and now she had no idea how to tell him how she felt ' _I'm pretty sure there's a festival coming up to celebrate the end of the Third Great Ninja War, in honor of those who'd died. Apparently some couples even start going out on that night from what the girls tell me. That could be the perfect place to tell Sasuke how I feel, the only question is how I'm gonna go about it. Every time I open my mouth I just can't get the words out._ I'm hopeless."

"I wouldn't go that far, in romance sure but not in general."

Kin looked to see Dosu leaning on a wall "Hey Dosu, what's up?"

"You have that kicked puppy look you used to have during our time in the Sound, I thought I should come see what was the matter. Boy problems? Zaku being an idiot again? You catch him reading porn again?"

"No! Well, I guess you could say it's boy trouble, though I'm not really sure why I'm coming to you of all people for when it's more like a girl thing."

"Simple, I'm the smart one out of the three of us. Zaku's the stupid one/pervert and you're the kind-hearted cute little sister to us. I figured that'd be obvious."

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' _Okay, here I am.'_ having entered Limbo, Sasuke was just aimlessly wandering ' _Alright, where to look.'_ he saw a light and quickly ran towards it.

A lone figure sat by a fire, but didn't turn around "Is that you Sasuke?"

"Yeah, it's me." Sasuke sat down on a rock beside him.

"Did you die? Or is it that weird training with the dead routine?"

"The second one."

"Well would you mind telling me your tale first?"

"Sure, it's a bit of a long story though so let me take my time."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Sasuke let out a sigh "Where to begin, Shisui…"

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Kin finished explaining the situation "And that's about it."

"So let me get this straight." Dosu took another bite of the sweet dumplings he'd been treating Kin to when they were talking "You went and kissed him, then just ran away, and you're worried he'll laugh at you?"

"It's not like I meant to do it."

"Sure you didn't.

"I didn't! It just sort of… happened."

"Well how was it?"

"Huh?"

"It was your first kiss, how was it?"

Kin spluttered for a second "It was just on the cheek!" she blushed heavily "I don't get why it's such a big deal."

"You're basically my cute little sister, of course your first kiss is a big deal. If you're that out of it over this then I'll help you find a way to get your brain and mouth on the same page as your heart."

"Really?"

"Of course, when have I ever not kept my word?" he got up and dragged her by the hand "Come on, when we're done there's no way that bastard will be dense enough to refuse you."

"...You do know we're talking about Sasuke right?"

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Shisui looked up at the endless void that was Limbo "So that's it. Not gonna lie, never expected you to earn the power of Raijin."

"You knew about it?" Sasuke sounded surprised.

"Knew about it? I was the last one to have it." his Sharingan turned blue "I call this the Sanda Sharingan, it doubles my power and gives me all sorts of lightning abilities that I could use with my Mangekyo Sharingan."

"So I guess that makes this easier." Sasuke bowed his head "Please, I need you to train me."

"So you can kill Itachi?"

Sasuke looked up.

"I've been watching over you and I've gotta say, I'm proud of you. And if you want my training, you've earned it."

"Thank you."

"But first, I can sense that someone's approaching your body. You'd better go deal with that, we'll start training after the festival."

"Right. And Shisui, thanks. _Itachi… I will get stronger, I will defeat you… but I refuse to become like you…'_ then he exited limbo.

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"Sasuke?" asked a voice.

Sasuke opened his eyes and exited his meditation and looked up "Kin, what's wrong?"

Kin sat down on the bench beside him, looking something Sasuke hadn't seen before: timid "I have to-"

"-tell you something." he said it the same time as her, then gave a small smile "You first, ladies first after all right?"

"Sure." a ghost of a smile passed over her face, but that timid aura didn't go away. If anything, it just got stronger when she looked away and grabber her arm nervously, her face turning redder and redder with each passing second "Well… the thing is…"

"You know what, the hell with it. We're probably thinking the same thing so I say I just make the first move and go for it." having finally had enough of avoiding his feelings up until this point, Sasuke gently wrapped his arms around her, his black eyes meeting hers.

Kin could see the emotions swirling around in his heart. Fear, hesitation, uncertainty, anger, frustration, but all of it was buried by resolve, determination, caring, tenderness, even love.

Sasuke's breath hitched in his throat, he could tell just by looking into her eyes how she felt.

She looked into his eyes and saw understanding and comprehension.

He knew how she felt as well, no words needing to be said. He made his way in first.

She followed him, her eyes slowly fluttering shut.

His lips gently pressed against hers, and Sasuke Uchiha and Kin Tsuchi kissed on that moonlit night on that very bench. It was awkward and juvenile and neither of them had any experience in that area, but the emotions behind it nullified any awkwardness.

They broke apart and Kin smiled, her cheeks burning deep red "Sorry, I'm really not that good at this."

"Really? I thought you did well. I'm not good at this either, but practice makes perfect right?" he gently embraced her again.

Kin rested her head on his shoulder and leaned against his chest, blushing as she felt his arms around her waist holding her to him. She felt safe in those marble-chiseled arms "Thank you Sasuke."

"For what?"

"For everything. For saving me, taking me in, promising to protect me, always being there for me, never turning me away…" her eyes fluttered shut, she was content.

"I should be thanking you, by meeting you I know that my desire to protect you is what gives me strength…"

Kin let out a sweet giggle "Just returning the favor I guess, you've already given me more than enough strength as it is."

Sasuke smiled softly and held her closer ' _For now all I have to do is wait and see what tomorrow brings…'_

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A week passed, and the festival was in full swing.

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Sasuke was waiting outside his compound, clad in a light blue yukata ' _How the hell did I let her talk me into this?'_

"I'm coming!" a voice called.

"Bout time, I was-" whatever snarky comment Sasuke had been saving died in his throat at what he saw before him ' _Damn!'_

Kin looked absolutely stunning, wearing a green kimono with lilies on it, her hair tied in a high-ponytail. She blushed when she saw Sasuke staring at her "What? Do I look bad?"

"N-No…" Sasuke fumbled over the words "You look… absolutely amazing."

Kin blushed further "Well… shall we go?"

"R-Right…" Sasuke gently took her hand in his, and they made their way.

Tatsu and Lee immediately appeared with huge shit-eating grins, but Sasuke quickly dismissed them with his Sanda Sharingan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The festival was well underway.

Sasuke and Kin, hand-in-hand, were strolling through the village and casually taking in the sights of the festival.

Naruto had found out about them a few days prior and had promptly given Sasuke a friendly congratulatory slug and then proceeded to follow them around the village, making kissy noises and fish-faces at them the whole time.

Kin had managed to laugh it off, finding the antics cute.

Sasuke was another story, Kin had taken a few steps away from him when she'd notice the subtle tension and his Sanda Sharingan flaring into life. Finally Sasuke had snapped and subjected him to something he wouldn't have wished on Itachi himself: a Raijin-powered One Thousand Years of Death.

Kin immediately put it on the list of techniques to use on Zaku when she caught him reading porn, she almost wanted to find him then and there but didn't in favor of staying with Sasuke then and there.

Sasuke was about go for strike number 7, but stopped when he saw that evil glint in Kin's eye.

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Next morning, Tatsu met up with Dragon and Izumi at the village gate "I honestly didn't think you guys were still around after you helped Lee and the others."

"You can't come to this village right before the festival without enjoy it." Dragon pointed out dryly "You and your friends undoubtedly earned it after a mission like that, the Uchiha boy in particular. What about the other one?"

"You mean Naruto? Today's the day he's leaving the village to begin his training with Jiraiya."

"Jiraiya? One of the Sannin?" asked Izumi, eyes wide behind her mask.

"Yep, and when he gets back he'll be stronger and more hyper than ever. Me, Sasuke and Lee are all gonna have to work hard so he doesn't outclass us."

Dragon nodded "I see. Goodbye then, you will see us again." and they left.

"I guess my business here is wrapped up." and he disappeared. See, it was actually a Shadow Clone.

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Iruka had met up with Naruto at Ichiraku for one last bowl "Well well, you've got quite a journey ahead of you."

Naruto slurped down some ramen "Yep."

"Hey listen up, you keep focused out there. No goofing off alright?"

"Focused is my middle name sensei!"

Then Jiraiya poked his head in "Alright Naruto, time to hit the road."

"OK!" Naruto finished slurping it down "Thanks for the ramen Iruka-sensei, I'll pay you back! In fact, when I'm Hokage I'll buy you lunch." and he left.

Iruka watched him walk off with a small smile ' _Good luck Naruto.'_

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They soon reached the village gates.

Naruto looked back at the Fourth Hokage's face and held up a fist ' _Just you watch, I'll surpass you someday.'_ then he looked ahead and saw three figures in front of him "Tatsu, Sasuke, Bushy Brow?"

"We figured we should come see you off." Tatsu told him "Don't forget, the three of us are gonna be training to in preparation for when the Akatsuki comes after you. We'll all be ready by then, so don't you dare slack off."

"Trust me, I won't."

"And before you go, I wanna try something my brother taught me, something he used to do before just about every mission." he held out his hand "All of you put your hands in."

Naruto did, then Sasuke, then Lee.

"As we approach the decisive battlegrounds, believe that the blades of our hearts and souls will never shatter! Believe that our resolves will never waver! Though our paths may diverge, our iron hearts will remain as one! Swear that even if the land itself may break asunder, we will return alive and well! Scatter!"

"Right!" and with that, Naruto charged out of the gates at full speed.

"Alright, later runts." then Jiraiya nonchalantly walked off after him.

Tatsu turned to Lee and Sasuke "Alright guys, you go ahead and do whatever you wanna do. I've got something to take care of." and he disappeared.

Lee blinked "So that was a Shadow Clone?"

"Makes sense, it was the same idea that I had. The real me is training somewhere else, I just use clones to multitask. Later." and Sasuke disappeared in a bolt of lightning.

"So that was one of those Thunder Clones. Well, I'd better-"

"Lee."

' _Great.'_ Lee looked to see Kiba behind him, looking deadly serious.

"So Naruto's gone now?"

"Yeah, he just left. You need something from me?"

"Yeah." Kiba looked him dead in the eye "I need you to train me."

"This is kind of sudden, what brought this on?"

"Akamaru was almost killed by those freaks on that mission because I wasn't strong enough. I can't let him go through something like that again, and the only way I can do that is to get stronger. I originally thought about Tatsu but his training would probably kill me, and aside from him you're the strongest of all the genin of our generation, so please, I need your help." he actually bowed.

Lee studied him for a moment, then sighed "Alright, but don't think I'm gonna go easy on you for even a second."

"I wouldn't be here if I thought you would."

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Kakashi looked up from his book and noticed Tatsu leaning on the wall opposite from him "You need something?"

"I need to know something." Tatsu told him "About the Rasengan."

"What about it?"

"What's its change in chakra nature?"

"Actually it doesn't have one, Minato-sensei tried to add a change in chakra nature to it but wasn't able to before he died. Why? Do you have something in mind?"

"Well I've been brainstorming ever since we got back from the mission, and I think I have an idea. What I came up with is more suited to me and Naruto to be honest, or maybe it's more like it'll only work for me. In fact, if this pans out then my power may surpass yours even without my Tenseigan and Naruto will be the same once he learns it. I'll teach it to him when he gets back. Anyway, I'm not sure I'd be able to figure this out on my own, are you willing to give me a hand?"

"Well I've got nothing better to do, and if you think this'll work then I don't see why not. Alright, let's give it a shot."

"Thanks Kakashi, I owe you. _These next 3 years are gonna be interesting…'_

 **A/N:**

 **Yes I gave Aoi the Curse Mark that Mizuki had in the anime, but he clearly wasn't strong enough to put up a fight against Naruto and Sasuke so I had to do something.**

 **Yes I gave Sasuke the Raijin Blade and pulled a lot of asspulls for it, but that sword had way too much potential. I mean, it belonged to the Second Hokage and they had it destroyed after like 2 episodes!**

 **Yes Naruto didn't do much during this mission, but let's be real for a minute. He gets way too much screentime as it is, it's about time Sasuke got some of the glory for once.**

 **So yeah Sasuke's gonna be training in Limbo with Shisui. Think about it, he's probably the only one who could defeat Itachi in battle.**

 **In case you guys haven't figured it out, it's a Sasuke x Kin pairing. I haven't been able to find a single fic that shows that pairing so if you could recommend one to me that'd be great.**

 **Now then, I plan to have three in between story-arcs. Should I have them as part of this or part of the sequel, which will take place during Shippuden? If you're going to review, please answer this question when you do.**


End file.
